A Fading Rose
by Thestrangestoccur123
Summary: Eleanor Jones thinks that she has met the love of her life. He's sexy, kind, and absolutely brilliant. But will her late father's discoveries change how she feels about him, and her total perspective of life?
1. Chapter One

**So this is a new idea I am trying out.**** I just had a random idea one time, and I decided to continue it. I haven't got a name for it yet, I just want to see how things go, so please read, and let me know what you think about it.**

**It's set in the older times, around the Elizabethan era, maybe later, not really sure. Need to study some more. :D And there will be a few surprises hidden in there. :D So please read, let me know what you think, and I shall continue to write more. :)**

**Also, with my other books, I am writing them still, but I have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to be able to write more chapters to _Dance Away!_ and _The Truth Hurts, _and all the others. I only got to publish this because I had written it a while ago, and I decided to finish this little bit. So please forgive me, and I will get writing soon. **

**And that is about it.**

**Oh, and one more thing, I leave updates about when I am going to post a new chapter and when I hope to post a new chapter on my homepage, with all the details about me and my books. I usually do an update about once a week, but I'm going to try and do it more often. :) So if you are ever wondering when a chapter is going to come out, or if I am going to post a new book, go and check out my page, and then you'll be able to see when I am going to post.**

**And now I think that is about it. :) Happy Reading!**

**TSO123. 3**

* * *

**Chapter One**

I could feel his eyes watching me as I walked through the garden, standing quite closely to my mother. She was quite beautiful for her age, her dark hair pulled back into a bun, and a pleasant smile pasted on her face, bringing out the fullness in her pink lips and the emerald green in her eyes. She held a black parasol, which provided her shade from the sun's rays. Her dress was black, which was unusual for such a warm spring day, but then I remembered that even though she was smiling, Mother was still mourning.

My father had passed away about a month or two ago, and though I did not know him well, I had an ache in my heart which was inflicted by his sudden death.

Trying to block all thoughts of my father's death, I glanced back behind me. The handsome young man gave me a smile, and then winked. I gasped, and flipped my head back around. I could feel my lips pulling up in a smile, and my cheeks burn with humiliation.

I had been looking at him quite a bit during this outing, and I knew his features off by heart now. He was tall, and walked with his hands behind his back, with his broad shoulders pulled back. His hair was a light, golden brown, and part of it covered his left eye. His eyes were a rich brown, and reminded me of a dark, rich chocolate, daring and tempting. He was lean, and looked quite cool in his loose tunic and slacks.

But I was not feeling the cool breeze that the young fellow was able to feel. I had been pushed and shoved into a big heavy dress, with short sleeves, and my long black hair pulled up and lightly curled. The dress was very pretty, and very suitable for the spring weather, but I'd much prefer to be dressed in male clothing right now.

I could hear the young man's friends talking to him from behind me, and tried very hard to listen in.

"Andre, let's go. Vincent wants us to meet him by the oak tree in a few minutes. He has something he needs to tell us."

The boy that I had been peeking at all morning, Andre, replied with a voice that melted me at the very sound of it. "Very well. Let's go."

He and his friends hurried as they tried to get to the oak tree in time. Andre brushed past me as he walked by, and turned to apologise, giving me a smile as he spoke.

"I apologise, Miss. One can get distracted by such beauty." He winked, and then continued to walk away with his friends.

I could feel my cheeks go red, and I stared after them, longing to just follow them to the oak tree, to hear Andre's voice again.

"Eleanor? Did you hear me?" my mother said, interrupting my thoughts.

I shook myself, and looked at her, smiling. "No, Mother. I apologise. I was distracted."

I heard her scoff. "I can tell. You're always chasing after the wrong type of boy, Eleanor. It confuses me."

I frowned. "I am not, Mother. And I only just met the boy. I barely know his name."

"Well, my dear, you don't need to know his name. That young man walking next to the fellow that greeted you is Katherine Smith's son, Quentin, and he is bad news. The amount of young women that he is around, I'm surprised he hasn't impregnated one of them yet. So I would think that his friend would be just the same. You should focus on someone who has more class, who has morals and comes from a wealthy family, like Sebastian Patricks."

I groaned. "Oh, Mother, not now, please!"

"Eleanor Savannah Jones, we are going to talk about this now, because you never want to any other time."

"But I don't like Sebastian Patricks! He is stubborn, and rude and arrogant! There must be someone else that can court me."

"If they look like that young man does, and hang around Quentin Smith, you can think twice about that!"

I frowned, and ignored everything else that my mother said during our outing. She had put me in a foul mood, and I didn't want to stay here anymore. I excused myself, ignored my mother's dirty look, and walked off out of the castle garden, and headed off to my room. In my haste, I did not see him standing in front of me, until I had collided with him.

With a soft "Oof" escaping my lips, I glanced up, looking to see who I had run into.

"Oh, hello Sebastian."

I hated Sebastian with a passion. Mother was constantly telling me what a great catch he was because his parents were rolling in money. He was tall, and yes, he was decent looking with blonde hair that fell in front of his piercing blue eyes and yes, he had a smile that was to die for, but he was a jerk, and rude. And plus, I hated him. He was so full of himself, that he had nearly every girl in the castle chasing after him. But I hated that pig headed toad. He was only interested in me because I wasn't one of the thousands of girls who constantly spied on him. Hmm, I guess Mother was right. I do go for the bad boys.

He gave me one of his stupid ridiculously good looking smiles, and gripped the top of my arms, as if to pull me back up to stand properly.

"Lady Jones, it has been a while since I have experienced the pleasure of your company."

I groaned and gave a half smile. "I have been preoccupied, Lord Patricks."

His arms lingered on the top of mine. "Of course, my dear. You have been incredibly foolish enough to avoid me."

I frowned. "I'm not avoiding you, my Lord. As I mentioned, I have been preoccupied."

He laughed and ran his fingers up and down my arm, sending goose bumps all over my skin. His hand then came up, and brushed over my collarbone, which was exposed in the wide neck of my dress. My breathing had stopped, and was caught in my throat.

"My Lord," I whispered. "We are in a public place, and I would appreciate it if you stopped doing that."

But he didn't. He leaned forward, and ran his lips over my cheek, brushing them dangerously close to my mouth.

"Please stop, Sebastian," I hissed.

He continued, and I lost my temper. I pushed him away from me with all my strength and he stumbled back. I heard a coughing sound, and turned to see the boy that I had being admiring all day. Sebastian straightened up, and glared at Andre.

"Is everything alright here?" Andre asked, glancing between Sebastian and I. I didn't answer, I was too ashamed.

"Yes, Andre, everything is fine. You may carry on."

"Everything doesn't look fine, Patricks. Look at the poor girl; she is scared out of her mind. I think it would be best if you left right now, Patricks."

Sebastian stepped forward, and narrowed his eyes. "I'm fine right here, Richards. You should be on your way."

Andre gave a pretty good glare back; it almost made me cower into the corner. "I think we both know who's not wanted here."

Sebastian hissed, and then looked at me. He glanced back at Andre, then spun on his heel and stomped off. I breathed a sigh of relief, and collapsed against the wall, putting all my weight against it. Andre stepped forward and took my hand. "Are you alright, dear?"

I smiled and nodded. "Just relieved, that's all. Thank you for rescuing me from Sebastian. I am forever in your debt." I bowed to him and giggled.

Andre laughed and held his hands behind his back. "Well, you could do me the honour of telling me your name. I'd love to know what they call the beautiful maiden I just saved."

I giggled and bowed slightly. "I'm Eleanor Jones."

His eyes widened. "Robert Jones' daughter?"

I stiffened and looked into his eyes. "Yes."

"I am so sorry for your loss, dear Eleanor. From what I heard, he was a great man."

I smiled. "Thank you. To be honest, I didn't know him that well, but that is very kind of you to say mister...?"

He smiled held out his hand. "My name is Andre Richards." I smiled and shook his hand. He felt so warm, and comforting, I had the urge to throw myself into his arms.

I blinked, bringing myself back to reality, and snatched my hand back. "Very nice to meet you, sir."

He turned and laughed, starting to walk away. I walked with him. "You can call me Andre. I much prefer it over 'sir'."

I pulled my lips up into a grin. "So, Andre, I saw you this morning, in my mother's little group."

"Yes, my grandmother was invited, so she dragged me along with her. I could see you walking with a woman who I assume is your mother?"

I nodded. "Afraid so. I was dragged to that thing as well. It annoys me so much. It is so boring, and I get so exhausted with smiling and pretending to be happy to see people I despise. My mother's friends are so awful."

Andre laughed a rich and beautiful laugh. "I feel the exact same way. I don't see why my grandmother is friends with people like that. The world never makes sense, does it?"

"Andre?" a womanly voice called.

Andre and I both turned around to see Alice Finnegan walking to catch up to us. I didn't like Alice at all. She was a year older than me, and a lot prettier. She had blonde hair, and beautiful blue eyes that boys loved. She was so beautiful, but her attitude was rotten. She was spoilt, and I could see her becoming a part of my mother's little social group.

She finally caught up to us, and didn't even glance at me. "Andre, darling, I've been looking for you!" She looped her arm through his, and pulled herself close to him. I rolled my eyes in disbelief and looked away. "Come on, dear, we must go and catch up with everyone else."

Andre looked at me, and gave me a look that said he was uncomfortable. But it was only there for a second, then he turned his smile on and looked at her, his mouth getting close to hers. I thought I was going to be sick.

"Well, we better be on our way then. It was lovely to meet you, Eleanor. I do hope to see you soon." And when Alice wasn't looking, he gave me a wink, and walked off with Alice holding firmly onto his arm. Alice looked back to me and stuck her tongue out, which I replied with an eye roll. How immature.

And they left me standing there, alone, on a beautiful spring day.


	2. Chapter Two

**Sorry! Only a short chapter! And it's pretty shit too, but I plan on writing more soon! Holidays are coming up, so I will get writing then!**

**And sorry if there are a lot of mistakes in this. I haven't been able to edit it yet. I pretty much just wrote it and posted it. So let me know what you think. Read and Review! :D**

**TSO123. X**

**Chapter Two**

After my meeting with Andre and Alice, I strolled off to my room, wanting to do some reading before I had to meet my mother again. I was about two corridors away from my room when I heard a soft giggling and a low moaning.

"Oh, Dimitri, stop it!"

I sighed. Dimitri was my older brother. He was nineteen, and was supposed to be overseas serving in the navy. I wanted to throw myself in his arms, because it had been so long since I had seen him, but he was already preoccupied.

I stuck my head around the corner, and saw a very odd sight. My brother had his left hand resting on the waist of a very unattractive girl, with the other resting on the wall next to her head. The girl wasn't very pretty, not that I could talk. She was blonde, and her skin was pale with bright red blotches here and there. Her eyes were the only pretty thing about them; a deep blue that reminded me of the ocean. She had a very long and sharp nose, and her lips were very thin. Honestly. And my mother was worried about my choice in men! Ha! If only she could see Dimitri right now.

My brother was running his tongue up the girl's neck, and I could have vomited.

The girl, moaned once, then opened her eyes and saw me. She gasped, pushed Dimitri off her, and glared at me.

"Is there something you want, slave girl?" she asked, spitting on me.

I pursed my lips and snickered. "It's amusing how you assume I'm a slave girl when you look the way you do."

The girl took a step forward, and prepared to swing, when my brother took a quick step forward and wrapped his arm around the girl's waist before she was able to make anymore movements. He laughed a loud and rich laugh, and placed a light kiss on the girl's cheek.

"Eleanor, how nice to see you again!" he said, loudly.

I nodded. "It's nice to see you too, brother."

Emma's eyes widened, and she glanced between Dimitri and me.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Dimitri! I had no idea that she was your sister!"

Dimitri just laughed again, whispered something in her ear, and kissed her neck. She giggled, looked at me again, and ran off.

When she was out of sight, I looked at my brother, placed my hands on my hips and glared.

"I see you are up to your old tricks again, Dimitri." I scoffed. "And mother is scared that I would get impregnated by one of these men. I'm surprised you haven't got a little bastard child right now!"

Dimitri laughed again, and pulled me into his arms. "Dear sister," he whispered against my hair." "How I have missed you and your witty retorts."

I frowned and pulled myself out of his arms. "What are you doing here, Dimitri? What happened to joining the navy? I thought that was what you wanted to do? You were forever telling me that you were going to give up being a self-involved pig and settle down with a family. What's wrong? Did you get sick of your wife-to-be?"

Dimitri lifted his hand and flicked my shoulder with his long fingers. "I decided that I no longer wanted to join the navy. And as for me wanting to settle down with a family, I think you need to get your hearing checked."

I frowned. "Typical."

I spun on my heel and started to walk off, not noticing that Dimitri was following me.

"What about you, sister dear? It's been three years since I last saw you. Have you found a man whilst I've been gone?"

I frowned. "I've had more important things to think about."

"So that is a no, is it?"

I flicked my head and glared at him. "I just haven't found the right man, alright! Young men are very immature, Dimitri. You, of all people, should understand that!"

"Mother doesn't approve, does she?"

I laughed in disbelief. "Why bother! You never listen to me! Neither of you do! And no, she doesn't approve, anyway. Besides, he is with that dreadful Alice Finnegan."

"Is she still here? Maybe I should catch up with her whilst I'm here?"

I shook my head. "You will never learn, will you, Dimitri Jones?"

He grinned, and shook his head. "Never in my life, Eleanor Jones."

I stopped and looked at him, observing his features. I hadn't seen him for three years, and I didn't know how much he could change in that amount of time. He had grown up quite a bit. He had grown at least another three inches, and his shoulders were broader. His voice had gotten deeper, and his brown eyes had gotten darker and richer. His hair was dark, just like mine, and was a little long. He had a bit of stubble around his top lip and his chin. He was very attractive, if I might say so myself. He was quite thin, but had built some muscle in the years that he had been away. No wonder he attracted so many women.

"You have gotten so beautiful, sister. You look so much life Father. It's a shame."

I nodded. "I didn't know him very well, Dimitri. He had left Mother before I was four."

He nodded. "I know, but I knew him for a while, and trust me, if he were here right now, he would be so proud of you."

I smiled, a tear coming to my eye. Dimitri raised his hand and wiped it away. "Don't cry, Eleanor. He wouldn't want this."

I nodded. "I'm sorry, Dimitri."

"No need to be, love."

I sighed. "Well, have you seen Mother yet?"

He shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes. He raised his hand and brushed it out of his face. "No, not yet. I want to surprise her."

I laughed. "She will be! Wait until she sees that her darling precious boy is growing into a handsome young man!"

Dimitri threw his head back and laughed. "And I was hoping you would throw a 'mature' in there somewhere."

I laughed with him. "Many things you are, Dimitri Anthony Jones, but mature is not one of them!"

I stood on my toes and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. He kissed me back, wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, holding me against him for a little while.

"I missed you so much, Ellie," he whispered in my ear. "It feels so good to be home."

I pulled back, kissed him on the lips lightly, and stood back down on my feet. "I missed you too, Dim. It's great to have you home."

I smiled, turned and walked off, Dimitri heading in the other direction. I would see him later on in the day, and all I wanted to do right now was to spend time with him, but I knew he wanted to see Mother, and that was one person I was trying to avoid right now.

I had missed my older brother so much. I thought I would never see him again when he told us that he wanted to join the navy. I knew young girl's who no longer had fathers and uncles because they had wanted to defend their country. It was sad, and as selfish as this may sound, I was glad that it was their fathers and not my brother. I cared for him too much. For endless nights, I would lay awake in bed, praying to God that Dimitri was alright Thank God, he answered my prayers, and Dimitri was fine.

I could only beg that it would stay that way.


	3. Chapter Three

**Another short one guys, sorry. :) And for the French words, sorry, but I used a translator and a dictionary for it, so I don't think I got it right. :S :L I will check with my teacher, but for now, that's all it is. **

**Unless someone here speaks French and can tell me the right translation, I'll leave it like this until I've worked it out.**

**Cheers, guys!**

**TSO123. X**

**Chapter Three**

I finally made it to my room, and I collapsed onto my bed in an untasteful heap. I had been sick of standing on my feet all morning, and I wanted nothing more than to take my shoes off, remove this hideous dress, and sit in my underclothes and read. It sounded odd, I know, but it was better to do that than to remain dressed in this hideous thing.

I closed the door to my room, blocking entry into my room. I moved closer to the window, and bent down to pull off my shoes. When I was sure that they were securely off and in a place where I wouldn't trip over them, I started tugging at the ties on the back of my dress. When I was sure that they had all been undone, I started pulling at the skirt of the dress, slowly shifting myself out of it. When I was out of the revolting clothes, I was standing in nothing more than my underclothing.

All of a sudden, there was a knock on my bedroom door, and that was when I could feel my heart race. I kicked the dress and the shoes into my bathroom, and ripped a dressing gown off a hook nearby. After making sure I was wearing it properly, I walked to the door and opened it up.

There was Andre, leaning against the door frame, and giving me one of his gorgeous smirks. I smiled, straightened myself up, and closed my fingers around the top of my robe.

"Two greetings in one day, wow, aren't I just in luck?" I said.

His smirk grew, and he just looked at me. "Why are you wearing a robe?"

I swallowed hard and placed a hand on my hip. "I was getting changed. I hated that stupid gown my mother made me wear, and I decided I get out of it."

He nodded. "I would advise not dressing near the windows."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled, glanced down at his shoes, then back at me. "My friends and I could see you from down in the garden. You're just lucky that you didn't get full undressed. You would have started a huge cheer outside."

I could feel my cheeks grow red, and my breath grew short.

"Oh dear God!" I shouted.

"It's alright, Eleanor. I came up here before anything else happened. Just stay away from the windows. If it was someone else, let's say, Alice, I wouldn't have said anything. But because it was you, I thought it would be appropriate if I warned you immediately. You're way too respectable to have done that on purpose."

I sighed and swallowed back hard.

"I cannot believe that happened! This is so humiliating! I am going to go and dress immediately! Thank you Andre, again, for saving my life."

He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's no problem, love."

I sighed, and began to close the door, when he stuck his foot in front of it, stopping me from closing it.

I looked up, confused. "Is there something else, Andre?"

He bit his lip nervously, the smile completely wiped away from his face. "Maybe I should stay for a while, just to see if you will be alright."

I smiled. "I should be fine, Andre. But if you're that concerned, then you can absolutely come in."

He turned his grin back on again, and strolled into my room, sitting down on the large bed that took over most of the room.

"I'm just going to be in the bathroom," I said. Andre replied with a nod.

I had picked up the large spring dress and started to work myself into it.

"Have you lived here long?" Andre called from my bedroom.

"Ever since I was nine, so about six years," I called back. "What about yourself? You're fairly new here, aren't you?"

"Yes. My mother died when I was a baby, and I never knew my father, so my grandmother brought me up."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Oh, it's nothing. I never knew them."

I stood there in silence, trying to get the dress over my back. I couldn't quite reach the ties, and I was groaning and grunting in frustration.

"Are you alright in there, Eleanor?" I heard Andre ask.

"Yes, I'm fine, Andre! It's just the ties on this damn dress!"

I heard him chuckle, and then heard the bathroom door open. I spun around to see Andre looking at me, an amused expression written on his face.

"Here, let me help you."

My eyes widened as I felt the coolness of Andre's hands touch my shoulders, and spin me so that my back was facing him. I could feel my skin burn as his hands met my shoulders, and the electricity flew from underneath his fingertips. He told me to place my hands on my hips, and I did as I was told. Because of the low cut of the dress, wherever Andre placed his hands, he met my flesh.

He slowly ran his fingers down my bare back as his hands reached the ties of my dress. I could goose bumps rising on skin with every second that his skin was on mine. It felt very odd that a near stranger was assisting me in getting dressed, but it was probably a second nature to him.

He spun me back around and stared deep into my eyes. I couldn't help but stare back. His eyes...they were so brown, so daring, yet safe at the same time. I could feel my breath get caught in my throat, and my heart was pounding so hard, I could hear it in my ears. How could I feel this way? I had only just met him! Why was he making me feel like this?

I knew he didn't feel the same way. I could tell by the look on his face. I knew that he thought I was just some immature fifteen year old girl who chased after him like everyone else did. I knew that was what he thought of me, yet I couldn't pull myself away.

Andre leaned in closer, his lips getting dangerously closer to mine. I didn't move, I just stood there, wondering if he was going to kiss me or not. When I was sure that his lips were going to meet mine, he just whispered, "All done," his cool, sweet breath blowing gently onto my face. I smiled, and folded my hands in front of me.

"Thank you very much, Andre. That meant a lot to me."

He chuckled, gave me a bow, and then showed himself out of my room. I collapsed against my bathroom doorframe, half relieved and half disappointed about what had just occurred.

I had wanted Andre to kiss me so badly! I had never wanted anything more in my life! Did he leave this affect on all women, or was it mainly the stupid and naive ones, like myself?

I sighed and shook my head. He was just toying with me, using me to torment and tease at his will. I couldn't believe I had fallen for such an idiotic prank.

After making sure I was straightened up, I strolled out of my room, making sure everything was locked, and headed off for a walk. I just didn't want to be in my room anymore, and I needed something to do, I didn't care if it was absolutely pointless and boring, I was not prepared to go back into my room after recent events.

I didn't have any friends here. Even though I had been living here since I was nine, my friends were limited. I didn't have any friends that I could share secrets with, because I wasn't like the other girls that are here. I liked to keep to myself, and preferred not to throw myself into the arms of strangers. It was just not me at all.

That was why Dimitri and I got on the way we did. He and I weren't just brother and sister; we were best friends.

I kept wandering through the corridors, wanting to waste as much time as I could before dinner tonight.

I saw Andre walking quickly through a corridor to the left. I smiled and rushed to catch up with him. But he didn't waste any time. He continued walking, ignoring everyone as he went. I frowned, and began to follow him.

He walked around a corner, with me hot on his heels. I had almost caught up to him when I heard a harsh whispering.

"_Vous nous mettez tous en danger!_" said one voice.

I stuck my head around the corner slightly, just to see who was talking. It was a young man, maybe a year or two older than Andre, with long blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. He was a little shorter than Andre, and had stubble growing around his top lip and his chin. I frowned and leaned forward, straining to hear their conversation.

"_Vous n'avez pas assez de foi en moi, l'ami." _Andre said. "_C'est insultant."_

The other man started to speak. "_Un jour, vous révélerez quels nous sommes. Ils ne nous accepteront pas! Vous n'êtes pas prudents, mon ami. Les choses empireront seulement, Andre."_

I saw Andre nod, then he also began to speak in the foreign language. "_Tout sera excellent. Juste vous attendez et voyez, Joseph._"

"_Ils mieux, mon ami. Ou vous remarquerez que nous serons runnng de nouveau. Et cette fois, la poursuite ne finira jamais."_

I saw both of their heads turn to look at me, and I froze. Andre's eyes turned into a glare, and so did the other man's. I let out a small scream, and ran off, aware that Andre was hot on my heels.


	4. Chapter Four

**Sorry. Another short chapter. And I apologise that I haven't been posting lately. Holidays just started, and already I have been as busy as I have ever been. :) So, when I have a free day, I'll write. :) Thanks for all your support and check out my other books. **

**Happy reading!**

**TSO123. X**

**Chapter Four**

I had no idea where I was running to; I just knew that I had to run. Andre was a boy, and he would be a lot faster and stronger than I was. The conversation I overheard was obviously important.

I didn't know how far away Andre was, and I didn't want to look back to see. I kept running and running, never looking back, not wanting to see the anger and the hatred in Andre's eyes.

All of a sudden, an arm snaked around my waist, and I was lifted off my feet. I started kicking and screaming, but a cold, soft hand covered my mouth to muffle the sound. A head rested against mine, and a soft voice whispered into my ear.

"If I let you go, will you promise to be good and stay here?" Andre whispered.

I hesitated a bit before I nodded.

"You're lying."

I swallowed hard and stiffened. I was still off the ground, in Andre's arms, and I wanted nothing more than to turn around and feel the softness of his lips against mine. But this was not the time, and Andre was very angry.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Eleanor. I promise. Now, do you promise to be good if I put you down?"

I nodded again, not hesitating this time. I didn't want Andre to hurt me, and even though he had promised me that he wouldn't, I still had that small doubt in the back of my mind that he would.

Slowly, Andre placed me on the ground, releasing his grip on my waist, and uncovered my mouth. I turned around and stared into his eyes. He didn't look as mad as he did before, but I still didn't feel safe. Andre breathed a sigh of relief, and before he could start speaking, I took off, sprinting as fast as I could to get away from him.

I only got to make three strides before he had me up in his arms again. He started to chuckle, and held me as high as he could.

"Now, you are either terrified of me at the moment, or you just want to find an excuse to jump into my arms. I refuse to believe the first one."

I swallowed back hard. I didn't want to be here at the moment. I knew Andre would get mad at me again, and I knew that if I tried to run again, it would just end into another failed attempt.

I closed my eyes and sniffed back my tears. I felt him place me back on the floor, but he kept his hands at my waist to make sure that I wouldn't run away...again.

I opened my eyes, and saw his level with mine. "What were you doing, Eleanor?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Andre, really. I was just out for a stroll, and then I heard some voices, so, like any curious person would, I went looking for where the voices were coming from, and then I saw you and that man-"

"What did you hear, Eleanor?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I swear, I didn't understand any of it."

Andre pursed his full lips and closed his eyes. "Are you telling me the truth, Eleanor?"

I nodded. "I swear, on my life, Andre, I had no idea what you were talking about."

I saw him raise his thumb and his forefinger, and watched him as he rubbed he eyes and the top of his nose. I didn't want to ask the question, because I knew I was treading on thin ice, but I could feel something at the back of my mind nagging me to ask.

"So, Andre, who was that man?"

He ceased pinching his nose, and looked at me. I watched him swallow awkwardly, and he placed a small smile on his face. "He's just an old friend, my sweet."

I gave him a disbelieving look. "Yes, I'm sure you speak to all of your 'old friends' like that."

He questioning look. "I thought you said you couldn't speak or understand French."

I nodded. "I can't. But I can understand attitudes and the tones that people use when they are conversing."

He narrowed his eyes and gave me a glare that was so cold, it sent a chill to my bone. I almost jumped back, but then I decided to stand up for myself, so I glowered back.

We stood there for a while, just glaring at each other, when all of a sudden, Andre's face went soft, and he started to chuckle. I found it irritating. This was not an appropriate time to be laughing and making jokes.

Although Andre was standing in front of me, chuckling, I continued to frown, and placed my hands on my small, delicate waist.

"You are quite an observing little one, aren't you?" He said, laughing. Then, he brought his voice lower, trying to make himself irresistible. And believe me, did he ever. "That is one thing that I find intriguing about you."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. Without giving Andre another fleeting look, I twirled on my foot, away from Andre, and walked off down the corridor, annoyed that he had chosen this, of all times to be making inappropriate comments about me.

And for the third time that evening, Andre had lifted me off the ground, with his arm held firmly around my waist. I threw my arms down in frustration and made a very un-ladylike grunt.

"Andre, let me go! Let me grow right now, or you will suffer the consequences!" I screamed.

All he did was laugh at my stupid, empty threat, and leaned in close, right next to my ear, and whispered ever so softly: "I highly doubt that."

I smirked to myself, and thoughts of what I had learned when I was younger filled my mind.

Because I barely saw my father, I learned my self-defence from my older brother. Dimitri had taught me all the skills he had learned when he was training for the navy, so that if I ever came into a dangerous situation, I was able to defend myself, and possibly those around me.

I threw back my arm, and ignored the pain I felt when my elbow met Andre's pelvic bone. His body was so hard, and I was amazed that he didn't even budge. But I continued with my attack. Andre was a lot taller than I was, and his legs were quite long, so I was unable to stamp on his foot, especially at the height that Andre held me. So I had to aim for another part of his legs. I flung my leg back and my heel met with his shin. Again, he didn't scream or cry out in pain, and it was very frustrating. I folded my arms across my chest, and stood completely still.

I heard a rich chuckle in my ear, and Andre slowly released me from his grip. I turned around and stood there, glaring at him, my hands on my hips, without saying a word.

He leaned forward, getting very close to my lips. I froze, and I could feel my heart race and my breathing cease. He rested a hand lightly on my waist, and I felt him bring me closer to his body, and forced me to press my chest against his. He got closer and closer to my lips, and got so near, that I could feel his sweet breath on my face. His eyes wondered down to my lips and back up to my eyes. He pursed his lips...and gently whispered "I told you so."

He pulled back and laughed, whilst I growled, angry with myself for getting my hopes up, and angry with Andre for leading me on that way. I continued to grow, wanting to raise my hand and slap it right across his face. But I knew I wouldn't have the strength to do that. Instead, I twirled on one foot away from Andre, and walked off, without saying another word to him.

"I shall see you soon, beautiful," Andre called out.

I let out a laugh of disbelief, and called back over my shoulder: "I doubt you will, Richards."

I could hear his enticing laughter as I stomped away through the corridor.


	5. Chapter Five

**Hope you enjoy this one. :) It's getting a bit boring at the moment, I know, but the action will spice up soon. :) In the meantime, if you wanna check out my other books, so I haven't completed yet, not in ages, but since it's the holidays, I will concentrate on my books now.**

**Check my page for updates, and Happy Reading! x**

**Chapter Five**

A few days passed, and I only caught glimpses of Andre here and there. I wasn't purposely avoiding him; I just wasn't ready to talk to him yet, especially after what had occurred on Wednesday evening. And every time I saw Andre, he was accompanied by Alice.

A few times I passed him in the busy corridors, I saw his left eye close, and he gave me a seductive wink. I pretended to act disgusted, rolling my eyes and tossing my head, but inside I was glad that he was noticing me, and that he wasn't mad with me.

Nothing had occurred during the rest of the week. I received a few visits from Dimitri, mainly to avoid an unexpected meeting with Mother. She knew he was here, and she wasn't too pleased to hear that he had dropped out of the navy. As the oldest, he was expected to have an amazing career, with a supportive wife, and a beautiful family. But I knew that she was secretly glad that he was home, and that he wasn't risking his life any more. Dimitri was the favoured child, and it didn't bother me. He was handsome, intelligent, daring, everything that a mother would want in her son. But there were so many things about Dimitri that my mother was not aware of, and that was what irritated me.

I lay on my stomach on my bed, my book in my hands, and my legs in the air, my ankles crossed as I swung them back and forth. My book, a romance novel, was quite interesting. A young woman had fallen in love with an older man, who was married to her mother. The older man and the young woman would sneak off during the night, when everyone else was asleep. They were having an affair, and the young woman's husband had discovered the love letters that she had been receiving. I was up to an exciting part now, where the young woman is confronted by her husband.

_He took a step forward, the knife hidden well behind his trouser leg. He wanted the attack to be a surprise. He could ask questions later. He just wanted her gone. His mother was right; she wasn't good enough for him. How foolish he was, to ignore his mother! She had always been right. She had been correct about his father, messing around behind his mother's back with the maid. Why did he not listen to her!  
He continued to stalk up behind his wife. He had so much rage built up in him at the moment; he didn't know how bad this was going to turn out.  
But why should he feel guilty? His wife had betrayed him, sneaking out of a night to meet up with her father-in-law. It made him sick. Father-in-law. It was enough to make him want to kill her even more.  
He continued walking up behind his wife, his beautiful wife, with her beautiful long, blonde, curly hair, and her sparkling blue eyes, and the beautiful curve of her figure. He should've known that she would get bored with him eventually.  
He raised the knife as he reached closer to the chair his wife was sitting in. He was so close, so close the knife almost pierced her golden skin. He raised his knife a little higher and-_

My door was thrown open, and my mother waltzed into my room, with her long black dress, and a large pale blue box tucked underneath her arm. She took one look at me and gasped.

"Eleanor Savannah Jones! I have never seen someone sit so un-ladylike! Your skirt is around your backside! Please, sit up properly!"

I rolled my eyes, and sat up, straightening my dress as I moved. "Mother, what are you doing?"

She grinned, and waltzed in further. I envied my mother. She always walked'; with such elegance and poise. No wonder my father married her. She was absolutely beautiful. I knew she had something planned for me.

I groaned. "What is it, Mother?"

She carefully placed the box on my bed, in front of me. It was a very large box, and was quite elegantly wrapped. "Open it," my mother said, almost in a whisper.

I did as I was told, and carefully removed the lid. There, sitting neatly folded in the box, was a beautiful gown. It was the same colour as the box, a light baby blue, and was decorated with beautiful white lace across the top of the dress. I gasped at the dress' beauty, and lifted it out of the box, examining the rest of it. The dress was absolutely beautiful, and had the same baby blue colour the entire way through to the bottom. The lace was woven into the bottom edge of the dress as well, and the entire dress had a silky feel about it.

"Oh, Mother! It's absolutely beautiful!" I whispered.

"I know. You're wearing it tomorrow night."

My smile dropped and I narrowed my eyes. "Tomorrow night?"

She nodded, and looked at me. "Yes. I am holding a dinner to celebrate Dimitri's homecoming. You will be there. And hopefully you can find a male partner for the evening before tomorrow. Maybe Sebastian Patricks."

I groaned. "Oh, Mother! I should have known there was a catch!"

"Oh Eleanor! Honestly!"

I rolled my eyes, and continued to read.

"Aren't you going to try your dress on?" Mother asked.

I shook my head. "I'm not in the mood."

I could sense her getting exasperated and frustrated. "Fine! But sit up! Or at least pull your skirt down!"

I frowned, and ignored every word she said. Without another word, she turned around and walked out of my room. I laughed to myself, glad that I could finally get back to my reading. Until I heard three sharp knocks on my door.

I grunted and continued to read. I knew who it was. I continued to ignore the knocking until it bugged me so much, I had no choice but to scream. "Mother! Leave me alone! I am not trying the dress on, and I am not pulling my skirt down!"

I sighed, and heard my door closed. I gasped at who I saw.

"Well, to be honest, Eleanor, I wouldn't want you to pull your skirt down. And as for trying on that dress, well hmm, maybe I can assist you in that."

Andre walked further into my room, with an amused expression on his face. His mouth was pulled up into a smirk, which at the moment was irritating me. I sat up immediately, and pulled the skirt if my dress down and covered it around my feet, trying to cover up as much as I could. My cheeks burned with humiliation. I was absolutely mortified; I couldn't stand to look up into Andre's beautiful rich brown eyes. I knew he would just laugh right in my face.

I looked straight down, and watched my hands as the brushed the edges of the thick book. "Oh, Andre. I apologise, I did not see you there."

I could tell he was still smiling. I wanted to go over and slap him.

"Yes, I can tell," he replied.

I frowned. "Is there something you want, Andre?"

I heard him chuckle, but I didn't dear lift my head. "Well, I really need you to let me help you into that beautiful dress."

I growled under my breathe, still not raising my eyes a bit. "Anything besides that, Mr Richards."

"Oh, so we're addressing with Mr and Ms are we now? Well, Ms Jones, I was wondering if you would do me the wonderful honour of assisting me to the formal dinner tomorrow night."

I stared at him for quite a while, a confused look so clearly written across my face. "What?"

He smiled, and laughed out loud. "Well, you see, I was asking you if you wanted to go with me to the formal dinner tomorrow night. I hope you were listening that time. It gets tiring having to ask over and over."

I brushed my hair away from my face and looked at him. "You're asking me?"

I watched as his golden hair bounced as he nodded his head back and forth.

I raised my right hand and scratched my right eyebrow. I was completely puzzled to why Andre had chosen to take me to the formal dinner. Many thoughts walked through my brain. Maybe Alice wasn't known enough to take to one of these things. Maybe she was seen as a person from the lower class. Maybe, just maybe, he liked me more than he liked her.

I decided that I might as well ask. I would want to know if I was being used.

"Why aren't you taking Alice?"

His smirk didn't disappear. He just strolled forward and bent down so that he was level with my eyes and placed his hand on my cheek. His fingers lingered against my skin, and my breath caught in my throat. He trailed his fingers from my cheekbone down to my chin, sending shivers all over my skin, and then ran his thumb over my bottom lip. He winked at me, and I almost fainted.

"Because I don't want to take Alice. I want to take you."

I frowned again, and shrugged his hand away from my face. "Why me, though? I thought you and Alice were a couple?"

He laughed his rich, seductive laugh, and I could've melted right there. "My dear, Alice is just a close friend. She has admitted feelings for me before, but I told her that I didn't feel the same way, and we've decided to just stay as friends. It's as simple as that."

I nodded. "You must be very close friends, after I saw the way you have been walking around the castle together."

I heard him laugh again, and it was really starting to annoy me. "Sweetheart, think what you want. Alice and I aren't together, and that's that. Now, are you coming with me to the dinner or not?"

I looked up and smiled slightly. "Fine. I will."

Andre's beautiful face lit up, and he wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Fantastic! I will come by to take you to the dinner at 6.30 tomorrow night."

I frowned. "But the dinner isn't until seven-thirty!"

He winked at me as he backed himself out of my room. "I know." And he closed the door, leaving me with my racing heart, and my unsteady breathing.


	6. Chapter Six

**Sorry it took so long for me to post a new chapter. I lost all my chapters in a freak USB breakage, and I lost everything. I have been writing more frequently, so I should hopefully have a new chapter posted up soon. :)**

**And also, I have a Tumblr account. Once I have figured out how to use it and customised it to my liking, I will let you all know. :)**

**Happy Reading! x**

**Chapter Six**

I woke the next morning completely refreshed and excited. It was Dimitri's dinner tonight, and that meant that I was going to spend quality time with Andre.

I was bouncing around all morning, unable to contain my joy and my enthusiasm.

I decided to remain in my room all day, to avoid any contact with Andre before the dinner. I wanted to surprise him with my new dress, and I wanted to watch his expression when he opened the door to collect me.

After many hours of reading, I glanced at the clock that sat on the table next to my large bed. It read five-thirty three. I rolled over, and glanced in the large, pale blue box that sat on a wooden chair next to my dresser. I sat there wondering whether to start to prepare for the dinner now, or if I should wait a few more minutes. I shrugged my shoulders, and slipped off my large bed.

I stood staring at the large box, and then slowly slid the lid off it. I pulled the large dress out of its box, and admired its beauty. The dress was the same colour as the box, a very pale blue, and the hem of the dress was outline with small, thin white lace. There was a large white V of lace that started wide from about halfway from each breast, and came down to a point at the front of the waist. The lace V was completely filled with lace, and outline with a small, fine, gold rope around the outside, and then crisscrossed over and over in the V. The skirt of the dress flowed out quite a bit from the waist, and the skirt was quite thick.

I could feel myself smile, marvelling at the dress' beauty. I shrugged myself out of my day-time dress, and watched it fall in a heap at my feet. I slowly stepped out of the dress, and approached the other one, trying not to put creases in it as I lifted up. I started to undo the fastenings and ties that were at the back of the dress, when there was a sharp knock on my door.

I froze, and I could feel my heart race. I immediately thought of Andre, and wondered what he was doing so early. There was less than an hour until he told me he would pick me up, and I could feel the sweat gathering at the top of my head.

I snatched a robe that laid hanging over a wooden chair, and wrapped it around my body as quickly as I could. I heard another knock, and raced to open the door. I put a big grin on my face...

...which disappeared when I opened the door.

"What is it, Sebastian?" I asked, my disappointment clear in my voice.

Sebastian winked at me and took a step forward. "I see that you're busy. I've come at the right time, then." He hooked his little finger onto the front of my robe and pulled it forward, glancing down the front of my body. I snatched my hands to my chest and gave him a heavy glare. He chuckled and ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"What do you want, Sebastian? I have to get ready for the dinner."

"Ah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if you are going to the dinner this evening?"

I gave him a look of disbelief. "Seeing as Dimitri is my brother, I think it would be appropriate if I went his homecoming."

Sebastian let out a small chuckled and looked back into my eyes. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me tonight, as my date."

Guilt rose in my stomach, and I swallowed back hard. "Many apologies, sir, but I have already been asked to go with somebody else."

Sebastian lost his grin, and he glared at me. "Who?"

I shook my head. "I don't have to tell you that, Sebastian. Now, if you would excuse me-"

I began to close the door, when Sebastian stuck his foot out, jamming it between the door and the frame. My heart started to race. I had never seen Sebastian angry before, and I didn't want to find out.

"What do you want, Sebastian?"

He pushed the door open and looked at me. His eyes were sad, and I could see that his shoulders were slouched forward. He stepped forward and closed the door behind him, staring deep into my eyes. I could goose bumps rising through my skin, and I was scared of what Sebastian might do.

"Why won't you go with me, Eleanor? Am I not good enough for you?"

I frowned and sighed. "I've told you already, Sebastian. I have been asked to go with someone else. I appreciate the offer though, but I have already organised to go with someone else. I'm sorry."

Sebastian's head fell, and he looked back up at me again. He placed his hands on my arms quickly, and held tightly. It did not hurt, but I flinched at his touch. He pulled me forward, so close that our bodies were touching. His face was only inches from mine, and I watched as he stared deeply into my eyes.

"Eleanor, I think you are unaware of my feelings for you," he whispered, his breath gently blowing in my face.

I frowned, and narrowed my eyes. "I think I am aware of how you feel about me, Sebastian, and it has nothing to do with love. Now if you will excuse me, I have to prepare for tonight."

He gripped me harder. "I am being serious, Eleanor. How would you know how I feel if you never take the time to ask, or spend time with me? You are constantly making excuses so that you can avoid me. It confuses me, Eleanor."

"Sebastian, my brother's dinner is on tonight, and I would appreciate it if you would let go of me, and allow me to get ready. I will see you tonight, if you have chosen to still attend."

I pulled myself out of Sebastian's arms and opened the door. I gestured towards it, and avoided Sebastian's eyes. I didn't want to look at him, and I didn't want him to say anything. I watched him as he slowly strolled out of the room, without saying another word. I closed the door, and sighed. I didn't want to let this ruin the perfect evening that was planned ahead.

I untied the small ribbon that held my robe together and allowed it to fall to the floor next to my dress. With careful hands, I lifted the evening dress out of my hand and stepped into it. I pulled it up, being careful not to tear any of the fabric, and worked my way into the arms. The neck of the dress was extremely low, and was cut off my shoulders. I made sure that all the ties were done up at the back, and when I was finished getting dressed, I ran my hands over the fabric, embracing the soft, crisp feel of the material.

I sighed, enjoying every little thing about the dress, and glanced at the time. It had taken about fifteen minutes to talk with Sebastian, and another fifteen to get into the dress and make sure that everything was in the right place. I lifted the front of the dress with my hands and walked into the bathroom. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my hair, whether I wanted to wear it up, or leave it out in its natural ringlets. I eventually decided to put my hair up, and searched for a few pins to hold my hair up together. With careful, steady hands, I slowly started to roll small ringlets up on top of my head, and securely fastening it with a pin. One by one, they slowly turned into a large, wavy bun. I left a few curly tendrils out of the bun, and they softly framed my face. I grinned, very pleased with how I looked. I put a little bit of perfume on my neck, and the room quickly filled with the light, musk scent.

I glanced at the clock. I was five minutes early. I sat down on the bed, and waited for Andre. I began to wonder how he would be dressed this evening. I assumed that most men would be wearing suits and fancy dining outfits. My heart started to ache when I suddenly thought of Sebastian. I could remember his face when I told him I was going to the dinner with someone else; his blue eyes, normally bright and shining, had become a dull grey, sad and depressing in the dark light.

I shook my head. I was not going to allow this to ruin my evening. I had planned to spend the evening with Andre, not Sebastian, and I was not going to spend my time with him worrying about Sebastian and his feelings. He was a pig, so he would get over it quickly. God knows, he probably had already asked some unclean, unladylike woman to go with him before he had asked me. I know I would've done that if I were him.

Ten minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Andre. I began to worry. Had he lied to me when he said that he was going to the dinner? Maybe he had decided to go with Alice Finnegan after all. Or maybe he was just playing a trick on me, testing me, trying to see if I would fall head over heels for his good looks and seductive charm.

I sighed, laughing at my stupidity. Wouldn't he have told you by now that he was only joking? And he was only five minutes late. I couldn't expect him to be on time. He was a male, for goodness' sakes! Typical men were always late for everything. That was why they needed women, to take a firm hand and guide them along strict timelines. I laughed again, seeing how quickly I stereotyped men and women.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and Andre had still not shown up. There was only forty minutes until the dinner actually begun, and I knew that people would be gathering at the hall now, as people usually do. I chose to wait another five minutes, and if Andre had not turned up then, I was going to assume that he was pulling my leg, and head off to welcome my brother home.

My heart tore when the five minutes was over. With a disappointed and heartbroken sigh, I stood up, brushed the thin top layer of the dress, and strolled to the door. With a graceful hand, I turned the handle, opening the door in a depressed manner.

I suddenly stopped as my heart raced and my eyes widened.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Hey Guys. New chapter just posted right now. I hope you enjoy it. :) Please review and let me know what you think of the story. I know that this chapter isn't as good as some of my others, but I am hoping to improve it soon.**

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**TSO123. x**

**Chapter Seven**

His full lips were pulled up into an apologetic smile, and his light brown hair hung lazily over his eyes. He was dressed in a black suit, and the jacket emphasised the broadness of his chest and his shoulders. The shirt under his jacket was white, and was tucked into his trouser pants. He also wore a bowtie, which was black, like the rest of his outfit. He held his hands firmly behind his back, and he held his shoulders backwards.

"Andre?" I frowned. But I couldn't continue to frown. Whenever I was around him, he made me feel joyful, and forced my heart to race. I couldn't help but grin after a few seconds. He smiled back, bowed formally and winked at me.

"I am very sorry for how late I am. I couldn't find a gift to give you," he said, softly.

I waved my hand in the air in protest and shook my head. "You didn't need to get me anything, Andre."

He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I did anyway. Turn around and close your eyes."

I did as I was told, and turned my back to him. I slowly closed my eyes, relying on my other senses. I could smell the musky scent of my perfume, and the soft, sweet smell of Andre. I could feel the tips of his warm fingers lightly brush the exposed skin at my neck. Something cold fell against the base of my throat, and I shivered. Andre brushed his fingers against my neck again, and then I could feel his lips press against the back of my neck. His hands went to my waist, and slowly turned me back around. I opened my eyes, and ran my hands over a thin chain that embraced my neck. The chain was gold, and it matched my dress. I glanced down at the pendant that hung in the hollow of my throat, and ran my fingers over it. It was a large, clear crystal, as big as both of my thumbnails put together. It was absolutely beautiful, and I admired the way it reflected light in every direction.

"Oh Andre," I gasped. "It's beautiful. I can't accept this. It's far too extravagant."

He only smiled, and his large hands covered mine. "Sweetheart, I want you to have it. My mother gave it to me before she died."

I frowned. "Well, then I definitely can't accept this! It just wouldn't seem right! Please, please, take it back!"

Andre shook his head. "Absolutely not. My mother told me that one day I would meet the most beautiful young woman in the entire world, and when I did, I was to give this to her."

I could feel my eyes start to water, and my lip started to tremble. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Andre laughed and nodded. "You are the most beautiful in the world."

I smiled, and continued to hold the pendant. It was very beautiful. Eventually, I nodded and sighed. "Very well. I shall accept this gift."

His grin grew and he held out his arm for me to take. "I'm very glad."

I hooked my left arm through his right, and walked with him down the long corridor to the hall. My heart skipped, and I could feel joy just radiating from me.

"So, what is this dinner about?" Andre asked.

I pursed my lips, and sighed. "Well, Dimitri just came back from overseas. He was serving in the Navy, but he didn't like it, so he decided to come back. It doesn't surprise me. Even as a child, he was forever giving up on things that seemed like too much work. He's a quitter, that dear brother of mine."

Andre chuckled, and looked at me. "So, what's wrong with that?"

I frowned. "There's nothing wrong with it, it just annoys me. Mother is constantly cherishing him over me. Ever since I was born, he has been the favoured child. And now that my father has died, it has gotten even worse. I am always a disappointment to my mother. Always have and I always will be."

"I reckon your mother would be proud of you, no matter what you did."

I shook my head. "She wants me to be a perfect wife. She wants me to give birth to her grandchildren, she wants me to look after my husband and my children, and she would want me to look after her when she reaches old age. I don't want to do what she wants me to, though. I want to study medicine, or write a bestseller, or research about animals. I want to be able to cure people. I want to live my life the way I want to, not the way my mother expects me to."

Andre nodded, understanding what I was saying. "I see. But isn't medicine a male profession? And hasn't it been like that for many years?"

"Yes," I snapped. "But who says that women can't do what men do? Who says that they aren't as intelligent as men are? Women are just as capable as being a doctor or being an explorer, or being in the Navy just as much as men are. Men are just scared."

Andre chuckled. "Of what?"

"That women will prove to be better, faster and stronger than they are. Secretly, they're afraid that if a woman discovers her talents in an area other housekeeping, that they will no longer have food on the table, and that their house will no longer be clean. I believe that women should look work and look after the family as well as men. Women shouldn't leach on a man's salary. She didn't earn it, he did."

"Gosh, you've really thought about this, haven't you?"

I nodded. "When one has been alone for as long as I have, you tend to think about these things all the time."

Andre smiled, and looked away from me. We didn't talk for the rest of the journey down the corridor, and this annoyed me a little bit. I loved hearing Andre talk. I loved hearing the soft purr of his voice, and watching the little twitch of his lips whenever he smiled or made a noise. I sighed, a little heartbroken, knowing that I had said something that had annoyed him.

We had reached the hall door, and before we walked inside, Andre stopped, and looked deeply into my eyes. He leaned forward, and planted his lips lightly on my cheek, very closely to my lips. He grinned, and then turned to the door, slowly pushing it open.

The bright lights from the hall filled my eyes, and I blinked back a little bit. Andre guided me into the hall, weaving me through groups of laughing people and dancing couples. I felt a hand brush by mine, and I glanced over to see Dimitri, holding his arms out and smiling.

"Sister, dear, you look beautiful!"

I grinned, released Andre's arm, and launched myself into Dimitri's. He was dressed very similarly to Andre, but then again, so was every other male in the room. He still hadn't shaved, which was ok, because I believed that he looked better with his slight stubble than without.

Dimitri looked past me and stared at Andre. He held out his hand for Andre to shake. Andre grasped it firmly and shook it well. Andre was only slightly taller than my brother, and was far better looking. But then again, I was very biased.

"Dimitri Jones. I am Eleanor's brother. You must be her date for the evening," my brother spoke, politely.

Andre nodded. "I am Andre Richards. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Dimitri looked at me, impressed. "Well mannered and polite. I think you've found a winner, Sister. Mother will highly approve."

My cheeks started to burn, and I glared at Dimitri. He raised his hands, innocently and smiled. "Well, I better leave you to alone. I must find Emma. It was very nice to meet you, Andre."

Andre nodded. "You too, Dimitri."

I hooked my arm back through Andre's, and continued to walk around the hall with him. He leaned towards me, and whispered in my ear. "I have to admit, you are the most beautiful woman here this evening."

I could feel my cheeks flush, and I turned away from Andre. "You have to say that," I muttered.

Andre had his finger underneath my chin before I knew it, and forced me to look into his eyes. I melted the moment I saw them, and I felt my body go soft and weak. His lips were in a firm line, and he was annoyed. "No, I don't have to say that, Eleanor. Why don't you ever believe me when I tell you that you're beautiful? You know I would never lie to you."

I couldn't help but hold my breath. I was scared that if I even let out even just a small bit of air, I would babble to him, and tell him exactly how he made me feel. He wouldn't care. He would just laugh. He was probably used to hearing that anyway. He would think that I am some childish schoolgirl who didn't know anything and was just another one of his followers. I could just imagine him thinking those exact words, and how much it would hurt me if he did.

I sighed, slowly releasing the breath that I held inside. I allowed myself to smile, and faced the front, avoiding Andre's question completely.

My eyes suddenly locked with someone who I really didn't want to see. Sebastian's wide eyes passed between me and Andre, and I watched as his large hands slowly curled into fists. His eyes narrowed into a jealous glare, and I tugged slightly on Andre's shoulder, but I noticed that he had already seen the stare that Sebastian was giving us.

Sebastian started to take a few steps forward, and Andre immediately saw the time to move. He pulled me over to a large table, keeping one hand firmly on my waist and another directing me in the right direction.

And right when I thought that the night couldn't get any worse, it did.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Sorry it has taken me so long to update. I have been so busy with school, it has just gotten so crazy. Last week this week, and everyone's trying to get their exams and assignments done, and yeah, just nuts.**

**I haven't edited yet, so this may be pretty bad, but I just wanted to get something out there now so I could get some people to still read my stuff. :L So yeah, I'm sorry if this chapter is pretty bad. I haven't been able to re read my work. So if you notice anything, please let me know, and I will fix it as soon as possible.**

**Thanks for reading my stories, and the holidays are coming up, so I should be able to write some more then. :)**

**Chapter Eight**

My mother stepped out in front of Andre and I, and I jumped with surprise. She wore a large black gown, similar to mine, but different in many ways. The shoulders were not cut down as much as mine was, and there wasn't a white V on the front of the dress. The dress was line with silver rope, instead of gold like mine. Her hair was brought up into a bun, which was similar to mine. She looked very beautiful, and quite elegant.

My mother frowned at me, but her frown disappeared when her eyes passed over Andre. Her eyes widened, and her lips turned up into a smile. Her flirtatious nature overtook her frown, and her eyes wondered up and down Andre's body. He smiled back, with an amused sparkle in his eyes, and stared into her eyes.

"Well, Eleanor, aren't you going to introduce me?" my mother asked. I narrowed my eyes, trying to remind her that Andre was my age, not hers.

I turned my grin back on, and gestured towards my mother. "Yes, Mother. Andre, this is my mother, Mary-Anne Jones. Mother, this is my friend, Andre Richards. He is my escort for the night."

My mother nodded, and held out her hand. Andre gracefully wrapped his hand around hers, leaned forward and pressed his lips against the back of her hand. He lifted his eyes to meet hers, and lowered his voice to a seductive hum. "I am struggling to believe you are Eleanor's mother. You look more like her sister. Now I can see where Eleanor gets her beauty from. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Jones."

My mother's cheeks flushed, and she looked over to me. She took a few slow breaths, and nodded at Andre. "You certainly are a charming young man. I wonder why it has taken my daughter so long to introduce us."

I threw my mother a disbelieving look. "Yes, Mother. I wonder why."

Mother ignored me, and continued to be charmed by Andre. "Well, I'm terribly glad you could make it. It is certainly a pleasure to meet you."

Andre looked amused, and his arm slid behind my waist, pulling me a little closer to him. My mother gave me a warning look, which I shrugged off. Mother turned around, and grabbed a glass of wine off a tray that a passing waiter held.

Once she had her back turned to us, Andre pulled me away, dragging me into the middle of the hall. I could see couples dancing; some were doing a waltz across the floor, whilst others just stood locked in arms, and swaying to the soft piano music. Andre gave me a cocky smirk, and I groaned.

"Andre, I am not dancing," I protested.

"Yes, you are, sweetheart."

Couples stopped to watch us as Andre slowly pulled me into the middle of the dancing circle. His hand rested on my waist, and his other slid up to my other arm, and placing it delicately on his shoulder. His right hand gripped mine, and he smiled as we started to sway. I started to protest, when he told me to be quiet. I pushed my fists against his chest, but he didn't budge.

"Please, Andre," I whispered. "I don't know how to dance. "

Andre just smirked, and continued to sway with me. "Well, I'll just have to teach you."

I bit my lip, and stared at him. He didn't know how clumsy and uncoordinated I really was, especially when I danced. I swayed to my left and to my right, and I was certain that I was going to stumble over someone or something sooner or later.

I counted six times, left to right, and then I stopped. I knew I was being stubborn, but I didn't want to make a fool of myself. I wanted people to remember this dinner as the day the miraculous Dimitri Jones returned from the navy, not how his younger sister was a complete uncoordinated moron and fell flat on her face.

Andre gave me a look, and I felt a tug of guilt at my heart. I wanted so desperately to dance with him, but I didn't want to disappoint him.

Andre gave me a smile, and slid his arm further around my waist, making sure he had a firm grip on me. My eyes widened with fear, and I could only think that something bad was going to happen, and my mother was going to be the one who saw it.

But I relaxed a little when Andre lifted me up and placed my feet on top of his. My heart begun to race, as the only thing I could think of was how close I was to him, how I could almost hear his heart beating through his shirt.

"See, you know how to dance now," he whispered in my ear, and pulled back to give me a cocky smirk. I laughed, and tried to relax my shoulders, and attempted to look like I was having some sort of fun at this ridiculous party. The only good thing about this was that Andre was here with me, bringing the light into my night.

I couldn't help but stare into Andre's eyes, and marvel at their beauty. He smiled down at me, and his eyes wondered to behind my body. They widened, and he stopped dancing immediately. I turned around to see what had stopped him and saw the most beautiful young woman in the entire world.

Her skin was pale, and it complemented her blonde hair well. Her eyes were topaz colour, and were very unusual. She was very thin, thinner than me, and wore a dress that was a similar colour to mine, but was styled very differently. Her hands were placed on her slender hips, and her pink lips were pulled up into a radiant smile. It wasn't a very welcoming smile; in fact, it looked quite evil and menacing. But she was still the most beautiful woman in the room, which made my heart sink a little bit.

I stepped off Andre's feet, and he pulled me into his side. I had never seen him so serious before. He had scared me when I had overheard his conversation with that French man, but this was a lot more frightening.

The blonde woman's eyes wandered over Andre, and her grin grew bigger. "Andre, how nice it is to see you again."

Andre didn't move. He just stood there and glared at this woman. After a few seconds he straightened his back, and pulled his shoulders back. "Emily. What are you doing here?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders and glanced around the room. "I think you already know the answer to that, Andre."

His eyes narrowed, and I felt his grip on my waist tighten. Emily's eyes darted to me, and held me in a strong stare. "Oh gosh, how rude of me!" Her arms flung out to her sides and her hand slid towards mine. "Hello, I am Emily Robinson. You must be Eleanor. Yes, I've heard a lot about you."

She slyly glimpsed at Andre, and she waited for me to shake her hand. I had started to raise my hand when Andre squeezed me hard and pushed my hand away from her. I frowned, confused, and I watched as Emily scowled and slightly hissed at him.

Andre ignored her and turned to me. "Eleanor, why don't you go and get a drink? You look very parched."

I nodded, understanding that he obviously wanted me gone. "Of course. Would you like one?"

He smiled and nodded. "I shall be over in a moment, my dear."

I nodded, and placed a confident smile on my face. But deep down inside, I was scared. Who was that woman, and why did Andre hit me away when she attempted to shake my hand? There was nothing wrong with good manners. I sighed and pushed and pulled myself through the large crowds.

When I reached the table, I quickly glanced back at Andre and Emily. Andre was getting quite upset, and I saw a few people glance at them with worried expressions on their faces. Andre and Emily ignored them, and after a few minutes, I saw Andre grip the top of Emily's arm and drag her away from the large crowd. I bit my lip, wondering what was happening. I had never seen Andre so upset before, and it was starting to worry me.

I turned back to the table. I noticed a young man, probably a year or two younger than me, who was serving refreshments at the bar. I had seen him around the castle before, occasionally around Sebastian's group. I couldn't remember his name, but I knew who he was. He gave me a smile, and handed me a small glass of water. I smiled at him, and sighed.

"What's wrong, Miss Jones?" he asked, preparing another drink for a middle-aged woman who sat on my left. She had had a few a drinks, and she was talking quite loudly. She laughed and flirted with the poor boy, and he ignored her and turned back to me.

I shook my head. "Nothing, I'm sorry. My partner has run off somewhere, so I am sitting here all alone."

"Well, I am sorry to hear that, Miss Jones. You're looking incredibly beautiful this evening. I can't see why he would run off."

I felt an arm snake around my waist, and I could feel myself be pulled against a firm chest. "Who's running off, my sweet?"

I turned to see Andre's smiling face. A small smile played at the edge of my lips, and I pushed back against him. "You keep running off, Andre. I wonder if you truly want me as your partner this evening."

He just smiled, and pulled me back further, tightening his grip on me. "Of course, I do. I just had some things I needed to fix."

I nodded. I wasn't sure if he was telling me the truth or not, but I didn't want to ask and insult him further.

I noticed the woman sitting next to me smile, and I wasn't sure if it was because she found Andre and I adorable as a couple, or if it was simply because she was turning her flirting charms on to Andre. Either way, I smiled back, and sighed slightly.

I noticed the boy's eyes widen and he grinned and waved to someone behind me. I was smiling until he mentioned the person's name.

"Ah, Sebastian!" he called. I frowned. I was certain that he was going to try and ruin a perfect evening. I heard a slight chuckle escape Andre's lips. I prayed that Sebastian wasn't going to cause a scene, and I wished that I could be as calm as Andre was.

Sebastian shook the young man's hand, and introduced him to his date as Thomas. I made a note of it in my brain, and forced myself to remember.

Sebastian glanced over at me and smiled. "Eleanor," he said in a pleasant tone. "Why, you're looking very ravishing this evening."

I could feel my cheeks burn, and I shrunk back in my seat. I could feel Andre tense beside me, and I squeezed his hand, assuring him that I was alright. I replied with a slight nod. "Thank you, Sebastian." I glanced over to his date, and I was a bit surprised. She was blonde, of course, and had dark brown eyes. She was very bosomy, and I could feel a slight ache of jealousy in me. She had a very narrow waist, but large hips, and she was quite curvy. She was quite beautiful, and I was surprised that Andre wasn't begging at her feet at this very minute.

Sebastian gestured to me, and smiled. "Louise, this is my good friend, Eleanor Jones, and her partner, Andre Richards."

The girl, Louise, bowed slightly to the two of us. Sebastian looked back at us, and introduced us to her. "Eleanor, this is my friend, Louise Kiernan."

I smiled. "It's lovely to meet you."

Louise didn't reply. She just stood there, a plain and expressionless look on her face. I felt some fingers curl around mine, and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was only Andre. I wrapped my fingers through his, and allowed him to pull me off the chair.

"Well, Sebastian, it was nice to see you this evening. If you'll excuse, Eleanor must go welcome her brother home. It has been a while since she has seen him."

Sebastian bowed and nodded. "I understand. It was lovely to see you both. I shall talk to you later."

With a slight nod, I felt myself be dragged away from another awkward situation. When we were out of earshot, Andre stopped and turned back to me. I rested my hand on my chest, and breathed a sigh of relief. I watched in amazement as Andre smiled, and did something completely out of the ordinary. He leaned in, and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. I could feel my cheeks burn, and my breath become stuck in my throat. The kiss was so soft, like a kiss a butterfly would give.

My lips pulled up into the largest grin, and I felt like a complete idiot. Andre just chuckled, and pulled me over to the table, where I noticed everyone was taking their places. My mother had decided it would be best not to place me at the end of the table where the rest of my family was, but to place me halfway down the large table that stretched down the middle of the room. Andre had found our place almost immediately, and I noticed that the name card on my left hand side read _Sebastian Patricks_.

I frowned, but I refused to allow him to ruin the rest of my evening. It had been going so well so far, and that was how I wanted it to remain.


	9. Chapter Nine

_**Hey Guys. :) New chapter out today. I haven't been able to update my homepage at the moment, but I will as soon as I can. :) **_

_**Hope you like the new chapter. Sorry, the last two chapters were a bit rushed, so they might not make sense, and they may have a lot of mistakes. So again, I apologise. :)**_

_**SO, let me know what you think, any improvements that I need to make, whether you like where the story is going, or whether you hate it. :L**_

_**Let me know, and I will make these changes. :)**_

_**Happy reading! TSO123. Xx**_

**Chapter Nine**

The waiters brought out the dinner plates and placed them in people's positions all over the table. There was a lot of conversation going on at the table, particularly up at my mother's end. I noticed that she was laughing a little bit more than usual, and I could tell that some of it was influenced by the alcohol.

I noticed that every now and then, Andre would glance around the room, as if he was looking for something, and he would breathe a slight breath of relief when he couldn't find it. I wondered if he was searching for Emily, if maybe she was what he was looking for.

I could feel my mind grow curious again, and I started to think about Andre's reaction, and the way he had tensed up when she had arrived. I thought about the way she looked at him; tempting him, but at the same time trying to push him away.

I had been thinking so hard, I didn't noticed Andre shaking my shoulder slightly. I looked back at him and smiled. "I'm sorry. I was just...thinking."

He smiled. "That's alright, darling. Your mother is making a toast."

I frowned. Of course she was. She was treasuring her favoured child, the one who did everything right, even though he was a complete drunk and slept around with every woman he could. I sighed to myself, and held my glass up.

My mother had had a bit more to drink now, and it was starting to affect her speech and her mind. She stood at the table, raised her glass, and glanced around, making sure everyone else had done the same.

"A toast," she started. She swayed a little bit, but straightened up and smiled. I could see Dimitri laugh, but I could tell that he was embarrassed. "A toast to the most perfect son. You have done me so proud. The navy wasn't right for you, and I'm glad you finally came to your senses and came home. I love you so much, Dimitri. You have never done anything wrong."

Everyone started to raise their glasses to their lips, until my mother shouted again. "You never do anything wrong, Dimitri! Unlike your sister. Dear God." She laughed hysterically, and leaned in close to him.

"Bloody hell, she can't do anything right! 'Oh, I want to sail around the world, I want to be a doctor, I never want to get married.' That's all I hear her say. 'Not to Sebastian Patricks! I never want to be married to a toad like him!'"

I noticed Sebastian looked at me, anger wild in his eyes. He was angry and upset.

Dimitri started to pull my mother down, suggesting that she should sit down. She waved him off and laughed. "Not yet, Dimitri! I'm making a toast!"

Dimitri sighed, exasperated and rested his head in his hands. I could feel the tears well in my eyes, and I dug my fingers deeper and deeper into my palm, trying to stop the tears from falling. I couldn't believe that my own mother thought of me that way. I didn't know I was such a disappointment to her.

"As I was saying," my mother yelled, eyeing at my brother. "Dimitri is the best child anyone could ask for. Unlike Eleanor. Bloody hell. She'll be an old maid for the rest of her life! No grand children from her! Another disappointment! Let's face it. She will never be good enough for anyone! She's just a stupid immature child. NO ONE LOVES YOU, ELEANOR!"

I lost it. I wasn't able to hold myself together anymore. Tears flooded down my face, and I could feel my head grow heavy and numb. I pushed myself out of my chair, and ran out of the room, hearing nothing except the hysterical laughter coming from my drunken mother.

I never wanted to see her again. I never wanted to see her face ever again.

When I was sure I was alone, I fell against the wall outside of the dining hall, and allowed the tears to fall. I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. I could feel myself shake violently, but I didn't do anything about it. I was so angry. I wanted to punch someone, I wanted to scream, I wanted to kick, I wanted to kill the first person who came near me.

I brought my hands to my face and sobbed into my palms. My palms became wet with tears quite quickly, and I knew that I looked like a mess.

I could feel my hands be pulled away from my face, and I looked straight into a pair of chocolate brown eyes. I tried to cover my face again, but I couldn't. Andre was too strong.

I frowned, and closed my eyes. "Please don't look at me, Andre," I whispered. "I'm a mess."

I heard him chuckle, and could feel his lips press against my cheek. I slowly opened my eyes, and stared at Andre, marvelling at his beauty. Without another word, he pulled me off the ground, in a movement so quick; it took me a while to register it. He wrapped an arm around my waist, and held me firmly against his body.

"Why don't I take you back to your room?" he whispered, and pulled me along the corridor. I sighed to myself, and could feel my heart slowly breaking, bit by bit, as we strolled along the walkways. Andre and I walked in silence for majority of the time, and to be honest, it was quite calming.

The time had passed too quickly, though, and before I knew it, I was back at my room, sighing heavily and wishing that the night had gone better.

Quickly wiping my tears away I turned to Andre and smiled. "I know you would rather be at the party. I'll be fine, Andre, trust me. I just need to lie down, that's all."

Andre leaned in very close, and looked deeply into my eyes. "I don't think I want to go back there. It would be far too boring without you. Plus, it would be a little awkward with your mother and Sebastian Patricks."

I was silent for a few seconds, but my heart was still far too tender.

"My mother hates me," I spluttered, and I burst into another load of sobs. I could feel myself be pulled into Andre's opening embrace, and I pressed myself against his chest. His hand ran through my hair in slow, soft strokes, and told me that everything was going to be alright.

"Your mother does not hate you, Eleanor. I think that she's just had a bit too much to drink."

"But she was telling the truth. Only idiots do that when they're drunk. Unfortunately for me, my mother is one of them."

I pulled back and stared into Andre's eyes. He stroked my cheek, and smiled. "You shouldn't listen to anything your mother says. She just doesn't understand you. She thinks that she knows Dimitri well because he is the spitting image of your father, and behaves exactly as he did. She assumed that you would grow up to be exactly like her; elegant, classy, and interested in nothing but men."

My lip quivered, and I whispered, "You don't think I'm elegant?"

Andre let out a small chuckle, and ran his hand through his sandy brown hair. "No, but it's not one of your strongest qualities, unlike your mother. Although, she didn't show a lot of elegance and class tonight, I might say."

A small smiled played at the edges of my mouth. Andre continued. "You seek adventure from a book, rather than the chase for a man. You believe in equal rights between men and women, rather than being told what to do and ordered around. You choose to be your own person, rather than follow the crowd. I admire that, Eleanor. It's one of your strongest qualities."

My heart lifted. My heart had suddenly been mended. Not to the way it originally was, but better than before.

I could do nothing but stare at Andre. My eyes rolled over his long, brown hair, tousled and carefree. They wandered over his face next, and I admired the dark rich colour of his eyes, the long curl of his black eyelashes, the perfect curve in his full pink lips, and the confidence in his smile, which revealed a set of perfect, white teeth.

A sudden urge came over me. I wanted to pull him against me, feel the warm, softness of his lips against mine, the silky touch of his hair underneath my fingertips, the warmth of his body against mine.

All of these thoughts that were rushing through my mind made me yearn for Andre even more. My body was in control, and my mind couldn't do a thing to stop it. Before I could even think about what I was doing, my hands were on either side of Andre's face, and I had forced my lips onto his. Andre took a slight step back, a little dazed, but he didn't resist. In fact, I could feel him kissing me back. His hands slid to my waist, and he pulled me against him. My heart was racing in my throat, and I could barely feel myself breathe.

I felt that there was some sort of energy running between us, a fire that burned in our bodies. Andre's hands slithered up my body, sending shivers and goose bumps rising on my skin. I could feel his fingers twirl around the loose ringlets that had fallen out of my pins, and his hands rested slightly against my neck. I could feel my pulse beating against his warm hand, and my heartbeat had not stalled.

I heard Andre suck in a gasp, and my eyes flew open. Andre had pushed me away, and was standing with his head turned away from me. All I could hear was the heavy drumming beat of my racing heart, and the slight pants that escaped both of our lips.

I felt a pain in my heart, like I had done something wrong. "Andre," I whispered, breathless. "Are you alright?"

I could see him nod his head in the dim light. He didn't look at me again, and said sternly, "I apologise, but I must leave."

Before I could even make a noise of protest, Andre turned on his heel and headed off, almost running down the corridor. I couldn't help but feel disappointed and excited at the same time.

That had been my first ever kiss. Sure, I had been kissed on the cheek by men and women before in acts of kindness and greetings, and I had stolen a slight peck on the lips from a boy when I was a younger child, but nothing had ever made me feel like this. That was my first kiss; my first ever heart stopping, mind racing, pure blissful, pure grown-up kiss.

But why had Andre run away? I sighed to myself. Maybe he was ashamed to be with such a beginner like myself. Maybe he could notice that that had been my first kiss. Maybe I had read too far into it, and imagined that he had all these wonderful feelings for me, when in fact he didn't. Maybe my mother was right; maybe I was always falling for the wrong person.

I looked around, realising that I was still out in the corridor. With a heavy heart and a mind racing with questions, I turned back to my room, opened the door and slid in, without another glance down the long and empty hallways.


	10. Chapter Ten

_**Sorry, this is not one of my best chapters. :S I just really wanted to post something. :L I am officially on holidays now, so I am able to write more now.**_

_**Please review, let me know what you think, and tell me if I need to improve. :)**_

**Chapter 10**

Four days had passed, and I had not seen Andre once. I had the feeling that he was avoiding me, and it annoyed me a little bit. I wanted to go up to him and apologise for what had happened, for the way that I had pounced on him four nights ago. Even though I knew it was exactly what I had wanted, I regretted it the tiniest bit, as I had the feeling that it had jeopardised my relationship with Andre.

I noticed that I had been seeing very little of my mother as well, but that was mainly because I was trying to dodge her. I didn't want to hear her poor excuses for the way she had behaved. And even though I knew I shouldn't have taken it to heart, it still hurt to think that my mother would say those things, intoxicated or sober.

I paced around my room, the same movement that I had been repeating over and over for the past four days. I wondered what my next move would be. I didn't know whether to confront Andre and demand to know why he was avoiding me, or to simply return the gesture, and ignore him back. I turned and faced myself in the mirror, noticing the dark circles under my eyes, and the pale colour of my skin. I needed some sun, and I needed it now.

I picked up the novel which I had forgotten about over the past few days, and carried it with me throughout the castle. I smiled to strangers as I passed, and waved and said hello to those that I knew. I was hoping that they had forgotten about the incident with my mother, but I doubted that very few had.

I looked out into the large gardens, with their beautiful roses and lush green grass. The shadows of the trees stretched over certain areas of the grass, providing shade and protection from the summer sun.

I smiled, looking out across the gardens, noticing a particularly bare area a few metres away from the large lily pond, which was occupied with little tadpoles and schools of little red fish. I sat down in a large section of sunlit grass, and opened up my book. I couldn't concentrate on the words, though. I was enjoying the sun on my skin far too much to be able to enjoy the book. Bending the corner of the page so I wouldn't lose my place, I leaned back, tilted my head towards the sun, and closed my eyes, embracing the sun's rays as if they were kissing my skin.

"Enjoying the sun?" said a familiar voice behind me. I jumped, startled, and looked behind to see where the voice had come from. I saw Andre standing behind, smiling, his hands resting on his hips. I shrugged my shoulders slightly and turned away from him. "I suppose so."

He sat down next to me, and grinned. "It is a lovely day."

I nodded, agreeing. I tried to close my eyes, and enjoy the summer sun again, but my body had become tense and I was stiff, wondering what Andre was going to do next. When he didn't say anything, I sighed, and sat up, looking at him with all the seriousness I could.

"Andre," I whispered. My voice was soft and frightened, and I had wanted to be a lot stronger. I cleared my throat, and looked into his warm, familiar eyes. "I want to talk to you about something."

He was staring directly at me know, all the joking and mockery gone from his eyes. He was actually paying attention to me, and was actually waiting to listen to what I had to say. I swallowed back hard, and tucked my hair behind my ears. "I want to apologise for kissing you earlier. It wasn't right, and it definitely was not lady-like. I was upset, and I don't know why I had the urge to do what I did. I hope you can forgive me."

I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks when he started to chuckle. It was already humiliating enough having to confess that you were in the wrong, but to have someone laugh at you whilst you were doing that, that was just mortifying. I frowned, and placed my hands in my lap, waiting for him to finish.

Andre grinned and shook his head. "You don't need to be sorry, Eleanor. You're not the first girl who has kissed me unexpectedly."

I sighed, my heart aching slightly with jealousy and disappointment. "Very well."

"I was your first, wasn't I?"

My cheeks went red again, and I looked away and nodded. "You could tell, couldn't you? When I had kissed you?"

Andre chuckled again, and I almost felt like crying. "Surprisingly, no. I had to wait until you apologised to guess."

My eyes widened, and I glanced at Andre. "You're lying. I'm not stupid."

Again, he chuckled, and he shook his head. "No, I'm not lying. Believe me. And I'm glad you kissed me. Do you know how long I had been waiting to kiss you? I was relieved when you were the first one, because it means that I can do whatever I want with you, now."

He wiggled his eyebrows, and I let out a laugh. I was half surprised, and half relieved. I sighed. I didn't want to ask the next question, but I did anyway. "Well, why did you avoid me?"

Andre looked a bit taken back, and I felt a bit guilty for hurting him. He glanced away, staring at his hands that sat neatly in his lap. "I was just scared, I guess. I wanted to give you some space, as well as myself. I didn't know if you had been influenced by your feelings towards your mother, or if it was the way you truly felt. I guess I was still a little confused."

I smiled. "I was too. I assumed it was because you thought I was immature and childish. I thought you never wanted to see me again."

Andre chuckled, and leaned back, soaking up the sun's rays. After a few seconds, he leaped up, and looked down at me, blocking the sun from reaching me.

"Come on, sweetheart. Enough questions. Come with me," he said, holding his hand out to me. I slid my hand into his large palm, and smiled as his long fingers circled around mine. He pulled me up, and I landed softly on my feet. "Where are we going?" I asked, but I was replied with Andre's long finger resting softly on my lips. His single touch melted me, and he laughed.

"I recall saying specifically, no more questions."

I laughed, and allowed Andre to pull me through the many trees and bushes that lead further and further away from the castle. My heart started to race, and I was growing more anxious as we headed further away.

The sunlight faded as we headed even deeper into the woods. Sunlight lit random patches of the moss covered ground, and I felt the air grow reasonably cooler. Panicked, I glanced around, wondering if anyone was around to see us.

"Andre, honestly, where-"

My sentenced was cut when I looked out ahead of me. He had brought me to an incredibly large and beautiful lake. The surface of the water was partially covered with floating lilies, and large green, glossy leaves. The water was absolutely clear, and I was able to look down and see little schools of fish swimming through the water. I gasped. It was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. It was like an enormous oasis in the middle of nowhere.

"Andre," I gasped. "It's absolutely beautiful."

I looked around, and noticed that he had let go of my hand, and had already stripped off his loose cloth shirt and his leather shoes. I tried not to stare and marvel at his fantastic physique, but I was unable to tear my eyes away. He was slightly tanned, and I couldn't help but notice the muscles in his arms and his torso. Feeling my cheeks suddenly growing very hot, I looked away, hoping that he hadn't seen my sudden blush.

Andre laughed, and called out to me. "Come on, Eleanor. Come for a swim!"

I gulped; suddenly not wanting to go anywhere near him, and his beautiful figure.

I shook my head and waved. "No thank you. I'm fine where I am."

"Come on, Eleanor!" I heard him laugh.

"I don't have anything suitable to swim in!"

"Just use your undergarments!"

My face was burning with humiliation now, and my breathing was very fast and uneven. I frowned. "Fine! But you must promise not to look!"

He held his arms out, as if he was surrendering to me, and I glared. I found a large tree, and quickly ducked behind it. My hands shook as I untied the large, thick ribbons of my dress, and slowly allowed it to fall off my body. I felt ashamed. I didn't want Andre to see me like this. I wasn't able to feel as free as he was able to. He didn't have to strip down to his underwear, and he didn't have to complain about his body.

I still had my petticoat on, which was part of my one piece undergarment, and I decided that I wasn't going to take anything else off. It would be better to have a soaking dress than to have him see me almost completely naked.

"Are you looking?" I called from behind the tree.

There was a short silence, then an amused "No!"

I sighed, and nodded. I could do this. I draped my dress over a tree branch, and rushed down to the water's edge, not seeing Andre anywhere in sight. I took advantage of the situation, and carefully slid myself into the water. It was a lot warmer than what I thought it would be, so I allowed myself to sink in a little further.

I felt a pair of hands press against my back, and they pushed me into the deep water. I fell in, face first, and swallowed a whole lot of fresh, clean water. I swam back to the surface, gasping and spluttering, begging for air. I turned to see Andre standing right next to me, his wet hair plastered to his face, and his lips pulled up into a massive smile.

"Andre!" I yelled. "That's not funny!" I splashed water at his face, and he laughed harder. "You promised you weren't looking!"

"I said I wasn't going to look. I never said I promised."

I threw my hands forward, and splashed him again. Andre let out a loud laugh, and splashed me back. I launched forward, and pressed my hands against his head, forcing his head under water. I felt his arms wrap around my waist, and he pulled me down with him. The water was so clear, I was able to see him visibly under the water. I grinned at him, and swum back to the top, but Andre wasn't allowing me. He pulled me up with him, but he refused to let go of me.

I took a few deep breaths, to recover from being underwater for so long, and stared deeply into Andre's eyes. His eyes wandered over my lips, and my breath was completely taken away when he leaned in and kissed me.


	11. Chapter Eleven

_**Here's another chapter. It may not be that good, because I haven't really been able to write very well, and I don't believe in myself and I think its crap. But let me know what you think. :)**_

**Chapter 11**

A wave of heat came rushing through me, and melted my cold, wet skin. Andre's mouth was hot on mine, and I yearned to be closer to him. I pressed my chest against his and my hands slid up his chest and I rested them on his shoulders.

Andre's hands dug into my waist, but he wasn't hurting me. He pushed me harder against his body, and I knotted my fingers in his long hair. His fingers trailed slowly up my body, and he played with the strap of my undergarments. Slowly and seductively, he rolled the strap down my shoulder, and repeated the same thing with my other shoulder. The top of my arms were even barer than before, and I could feel myself grow uncomfortable.

His hands went back to my waist, and he continued to kiss me. He slowly started tugging at my dress, slowly trying to pull it down and reveal more of my body. I pulled back immediately, making a soft sound of protest, and rested my hands on his chest. I gave him an innocent look and shook my head.

"No, Andre. I don't want to do that," I said sternly.

He gave me a questioning look. "Why not?"

I hung my head, and whispered, "I'm not ready."

I looked back into his face, and I saw him smile. He looked a little disappointed, but he covered it with a grin. His hand found my chin, and he caressed my face in his hands. "That's fine, sweetheart. You'll give in to my charm someday."

He winked, and I giggled. "Possibly."

Andre looked to the sun, and then back at me. "We should be getting back."

My heart sank. I didn't want him to leave me, and I didn't want to leave this magical place. I trudged slowly out of the water, and wandered over to the branch that held my dress. I knew it would become soaked the minute I placed it over the top of my undergarments, but I didn't care. It wasn't one of my best dresses, and it was about time I threw it out anyway.

I stepped into the dress, and shrugged it up my shoulders. I struggled with the ties, though. I cried out in frustration every time I failed at tying it up, and was about to give up, when I felt a pair of warm hands over mine.

"Here, let me," I heard Andre whisper, and I felt my breathing halt as I felt his hands touch me. In no time, my dress was fixed, and I could already see some wet patches here and there on the body. I could my lips pull up into a bigger smile when Andre curled his fingers around mine. He led me out of the trees, weaving through the bushes, going back the way we had come.

Before we reached the edge of the forest, Andre stopped me, and looked deeply into my eyes. "I was hoping that before we reached the castle, that I could possibly steal one more kiss?"

I rolled my eyes, and laughed. I stood on my toes, and leaned in. I wanted to kiss his lips, and feel them under mine, but I thought that a peck on the cheek would do.

I was wrong, obviously.

He stared intensely into my eyes, and smirked. "Is that all I get?"

I nodded. "Yes, for now."

Andre took a few steps towards me, and I stepped backwards, self-conscious, and slightly afraid. He gave me a very seductive look, and it made my heart desire him even more. He continued to walk towards me, and I felt trapped when my back hit the hard wood of a tree. He smiled, knowing he had me. He placed one hand right next to my head, and leaned in closely, his lips only a few centimetres away from my face. I tried to gulp for air, but I wasn't able to move my lips. My heart was sprinting, and I could feel it in my throat.

"Are you telling me, that you're still not giving in to me? That you honestly don't want me?"

If he only knew how he was making me feel at the moment! I wanted nothing more than to feel the warmth of his skin against mine, and be able to express how much I wanted him. My heart was beating so fast, I was certain that he could hear it.

In an odd way, my answer was luckily cut short when a large, thing feel from a branch in the tree behind me. Andre and I both looked over at what looked like a person, no, a woman. She was lying on her back, and she was completely naked. I gasped when I saw the blood around her stomach. It bled from a large wound in her neck. Her blonde hair was stained red from lying in the blood, and I couldn't help but notice the horrified look in her open, pale blue eyes. I was horrified, and was even more surprised when I recognised who it was.

It was Alice Finnegan.

I heard a hiss come from Andre's mouth, and I turned to see him metres away from me, with his face turned away. I hadn't even seen him move.

"Andre?" I whispered. "Andre, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he hissed. His voice was slightly muffled, and he sounded as if he had something in his mouth.

I took a few steps towards him, reaching out.

"NO!" he screamed, still looking away. "Don't come near me!"

I held back, a little hurt. "I'm sorry. I'm going to go find someone who can help us."

He didn't reply. He just stood there. I turned around, and ran out of the woods, screaming at everyone for help. The young man I saw at the party, Thomas, came running over to me immediately.

"What's wrong, Miss Jones?" he asked.

I stopped, trying to catch my breath so that I could explain what was going on. When I was certain that I could talk, I waved with my hand and told him to follow me. "Someone has killed Alice Finnegan. Please, you have to hurry!"

Thomas ran with me back to the woods. I had run further than what I had thought, and I was glad when I saw Andre carrying Alice in his arms. He had politely taken his shirt off and covered Alice, attempting to hide her naked body and her disgusting gash, and he had also closed her eyes, to prevent people from seeing her horrified expression.

Together, the three of us ran to the infirmary, ignoring the surprised looks of people passing by. When we reached the infirmary, I noticed Dr. Gelberta straight away. He didn't ask any questions, he just ordered us to place Alice on a nearby bed.

He felt around her neck, checking to see if there was still a pulse, if there was some sort of life still inside the poor girl. Unfortunately, there wasn't. Dr. Gelberta gave us all a sad look and I watched, heartbroken, as I saw the depression and realisation of her death wash over Andre.

Without another word, the doctor raised a sheet and placed it over Alice Finnegan's body. Without making a single sound, the three of us turned around and walked out of the hospital, not wanting to have another look at her body.

Thomas turned the opposite way as we walked out, and told us that it was a great tragedy, and that he would see us later. He left Andre and me alone, and I knew that he wouldn't want to talk.

Andre was still shirtless, as his was too bloody to be able to wear. Not that I minded, I quite enjoyed him walking next to me like this, but I just wondered if he was going to get sick. _Unlikely_, I thought. _It's one of the hottest summer days that we've had in years._

Alice Finnegan wasn't really a friend of mine, but I did feel terrible that she had been murdered. She was known with all the men in the castle, and I think that included Andre and Dimitri. I knew she didn't have very many friends, like me, except the ones that she made in bed, which was not like me. She used her beauty to get what she wanted, and that ended up being successful most of the time.

I realised that Andre was walking me back to my room, and in a way, I was glad. I knew he would need some time alone, and I thought that it would be best to give it to him.

When we reached my door, he turned and gave me a small smile. I smiled back, but was distracted by a tiny smudge of red on the corner of his mouth. I raised my hand and stroked it away with my thumb.

"What is that?" I asked. He looked around nervously, and avoided my eyes. I continued. "It looks like blood. You must have gotten it when you picked up Alice."

I smiled and sighed. "I'm sorry about her, Andre. I know you were friends with her."

He shook his head. "Not really. But I did know her pretty well, so it's still upsetting, either way." He stared at me again, and frowned. "But that must have been pretty traumatic for you. Are you sure you're going to be alright alone, tonight?"

I smiled and nodded. "I'm alright. And I should be fine. Alice wasn't really a friend of mine, either. But it's still quite sad."

Andre's hand slid behind my neck, and he angled my head so that I would be able to meet his lips. He gave me a kiss, but it wasn't filled with as much lust and passion as the others had been. His arms circled around me, and he pulled me closer to him. His lips pulled away, and he just held me against his body. I sighed, and breathed in his scent. He smelled of the beautiful clear water that we had swum in earlier, and unfortunately, a little bit like blood.

I rested my head against his warm chest, and smiled. Andre pulled back, and gave me a kiss on my hand. Without another word, he spun on his heel, and walked off, shirtless and still beautiful.


	12. Chapter Twelve

_**Trying to post a chapter a day now, and I think I'm doing that pretty well. :)**_

_**Anywho, enjoy the new chapter. It's not really that eventful, and it's quite boring and short, but oh well. We all saw it coming. :)**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

_**TSO123. X**_

**Chapter 12**

The next morning, everyone was buzzing and talking about the tragic death of Alice Finnegan. Rumours spread quickly around the castle, and every single one was different. The only thing that remained the same was the fact that she died. I overheard a group of young men saying that she had liked to bed dangerous men who liked to be a bit abusive during sex. I overheard a group of young girls say that she had gotten into a fight with the fiancée of one of her bed mates. But the rumour that I thought was the most bizarre was from one of the oldest women of the castle. She would throw her arms up in the air, and she claimed that the children of the Night had returned, and that we were all in danger.

I thought it was absolutely rude and immature that people had been making up rumours about a woman who had just been murdered. I found it very irritating. But I knew Alice would be pretty impressed as to how popular she was. Whether it was good or bad, Alice Finnegan always liked attention.

I hadn't seen Andre since the day before, and decided that he still needed his space. It had been a very traumatic event for the both of us, and I knew it would take time until he and I would be ready to commit to one another again.

As I walked through the castle, I noticed Sebastian Patricks. He looked at me, with a mixture of emotions in his eyes. He was irritated, upset, angry, and hurt. He started to walk right past me, when I called out to him, and begged him to stop.

He turned slowly, and his eyes narrowed into a thin glare. "What is it, Miss Jones? I'm late for a meeting."

I swallowed hard. He had never called me Miss Jones before, always Eleanor, so I knew that he was still, quite upset. "I just wanted to apologise for the other night. For what my mother said about you. She had a bit too much to drink, and she had said some things I was sure she didn't mean to say."

His hands were buried deep in his pockets, and he just stared at his feet. "Was it true?"

"What?"

"Was it true what your mother said? About how you feel about me?"

Again, I swallowed hard. I should have seen this coming. I should have known that he would say this to me. I looked down at my feet, refusing to look into his eyes. Slowly, I nodded. "Yes, it is. I'm not going to lie to you, Sebastian. You deserve the truth."

Sebastian laughed, without the slightest trace of humour. "So, you've been leading me on for all this time? Making me believe that you and I would have this amazing relationship together? Making me think that you could fall in love with someone like me? I was a moron to fall for a whore like you."

I gasped. I had never heard Sebastian curse before, and this surprised me greatly. My heart stung from his words, and I was on the edge of crying. "To be honest, Sebastian, I never forced anything from you. You allowed yourself to have those feelings and thoughts for me. I have never shared the same feelings for you."

Sebastian glared, and I could see his face grow red with anger. "I've notice that now. I hear that you and Andre Richards are a couple now."

I nodded. "That's correct." I wasn't completely sure if this was a lie or if it was the truth. Andre and I hadn't really discussed our relationship yet, and the only time our lips were moving was when they were locked together.

Sebastian nodded, and walked towards me. I knew I should've run away, knew I should've ignored everything he had to say to me, but for some reason, my feet stayed still, forcing me not to move. He leaned forward, right in my face, until he was only centimetres from my mouth. Even though he was incredibly close, he didn't make my heart beat like Andre did. He didn't make me want to press myself against him and feel the weight of his body against mine. He just made me feel uncomfortable.

He stared into my eyes and glared. "I truly loved you, Eleanor, something that that thing doesn't even understand. Just be careful, Eleanor. He's not as perfect as you think he is."

Without another word or glance at me, he spun on his heel and walked down the corridor, his head held high. That was one of the things I hated about Sebastian. He thought he was more superior to everyone else, and didn't try to hide it.

I sighed, glad that he had left. My heart still ached from when he called me that name, so I tried to shrug it off and walk down with my head held high.

Suddenly, my mother stepped in front of me, almost knocking me to the ground. She gave me an apologetic smile, which I returned with a narrowed stare.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I must go."

She hooked her arm through mine, and forced me to stop. "Eleanor, I want to talk to you."

I glared. "Like I said, I must go."

I tried to walk again, but my mother had continued to stop me. I stopped, sighed exasperatedly, and placed my hands on my hips. "What is it?"

"I said some things the other night that were very insulting and very rude. I don't have any memory of saying these things, but people have been avoiding me, calling me an abusive mother and a poor drunk. Dimitri told me what I had said, and I thought that it was best to apologise."

My mind told me that I should have just nodded and accepted my mother's poor apology, but as usual, before I could think, the words escaped my mouth before I could stop them.

"You embarrassed me, Mother, whether you intentionally meant to or not. I felt so ashamed. I was humiliated. Everyone was looking at me, and I knew every thought that was going through their minds. They all agreed."

I shook my head and growled. "Am I really a disappointment to you, Mother? And I want the truth. No lies."

My mother gulped, and she avoided my eyes immediately. "I wouldn't say disappointment..."

I laughed, without a trace of humour in my voice. "I can't believe it! You had me convinced the last sixteen years of my life that I was a decent person, and that I had done at least one thing to make my mother proud. Has there been anything, Mother? Anything at all that you can say that you are glad that I did?"

My mother hung her head, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Eleanor. But you won't get married, you won't even look for a companion, you spend all of your time in your room, and hardly converse with everyone."

"Dimitri is a man-whore!" I ignored my mother's horrified expression, and curled my hands into fists. "He has gone to bed with nearly every single woman in this castle, and probably even more when he was in London! And you say that I am a disappointment! He withdrew out of the navy, and is currently unemployed, and isn't even attempting to change it. I am at least studying to be able to do something with my life!"

"But Eleanor, ladies are not supposed to be studying, or working, or doing any of those manly tasks. They look after the children and their husband, and for the unfortunate ones, the entire house. Why can't you just do the correct thing, and be more like myself? At least try to be like me."

Andre's words appeared in my mind. "_She assumed that you would grow up to be exactly like her; elegant, classy, and interested in nothing but men…she just doesn't understand you_."

I shook my head, and relaxed my hands. I looked into my mother's worried green eyes, and frowned. "No, Mother, I can't. I am my own person, and you just don't understand me. Women aren't as helpless as you make them sound."

I spun on my heel, and walked the opposite way to my mother. I was proud of myself. I had finally stood up to my mother, and told her what I strongly believed in. I did feel a little guilty for speaking to her the way that I had, but I pushed it down and allowed myself to have this feeling of triumph for once.

But my triumph was cut short when I felt an arm suddenly reach out and grab my arm and pulled me into complete darkness.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_**Bit of a long chapter this time. :S Sorry about that. :L **_

_**I think I'm nearing about halfway now. :) But I won't know for a little bit. And sorry for not writing a lot as I said I would. I just got a new job, and I have been balancing that between school study for next term and things like that. :) So again, I apologise. I shall get writing soon, though. As quickly as I can. :)**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

_**TSO123. X **_

**Chapter Thirteen**

My heart raced as I looked around, begging for a slight beam of light anywhere in the black room. My palms grew wet with sweat, and I tried to muster up a scream, but my lips wouldn't allow them to leave.

The hand on my arm grew soft, and started to stroke up and down, lovingly. Something pressed against my mouth, and I realised later that it was someone's mouth. The fire ran through me, my heart raced faster, and my breathing grew quicker. When they pulled away, I could hear myself whisper the first name that came to my head.

"Andre?"

"Yes?" the other person whispered into my mouth.

I breathed a sigh of relief and I clutched at my heart with my hand. "Oh my God! You scared me! I thought you were a stranger! And after what happened yesterday...dear God"

I heard him chuckle, and he moved his lips to my neck and moved his body closer to mine. His fingers dug into my waist, and his lips ran down my neck, sending shivers all over my skin. I accidentally released a small moan of pleasure, and immediately gasped with embarrassment the second it left my mouth. Andre chuckled, and continued to press his lips against my neck. His hands were resting on my waist, and it took me a while to realise that the ribbon that was wrapped around my waist was slowly becoming looser and looser.

I pulled back, and tried to sound fierce, but my voice was nothing more than a whisper. "Andre, please, I can't see a thing. It's so dark in here!"

"I can see just fine."

I frowned. "Well, I can't. I'm turning on a light."

I stepped around him, and felt my way around the dark. My hands came across what felt like a lantern, and then a match. I struck the match, and slowly lit the candle inside. A small, dim light flickered around the room, and I could see that the curtains were closed. Andre was standing behind me, just staring at my face. I didn't know if it was because of the dim lighting, but his skin looked a lot paler than usual, and there were some dark circles underneath his eyes. His eyes were not their usual chocolate brown; they were darker, blacker.

"Andre?" I asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

I watched as his lips pulled up and he revealed his perfect, white teeth. He nodded and grinned. "I'm better now that you're here."

I smiled and giggled, childishly. I covered my mouth, trying to cover up my childish behaviour, and folded my arms. "Well, I think you should open the curtains and the windows, allow some light and air into the room-"

I had started to head over to the large window at the end of the room, when I heard Andre scream "NO!" and appear suddenly in front of me, blocking my way to the curtains. My eyes widened.

"How did you do that?" I hissed.

"Do what?" he snapped.

"You...you were standing on the other side of the room. I saw you."

Andre shrugged, turned his head and gripped onto the curtains. "It's the light in here. You just can't see me as well."

I frowned, confused, and shook my head. "It doesn't matter. I think we should open the window. You'll feel better, then."

Andre growled and stood over me, glaring directly into my eyes. Then with a firm cold voice, he said, "I said no, Eleanor. The window does not need to be opened."

I frowned, and started to toss my hair, when I felt a sudden influence fall over me. I found myself weak and vulnerable, and my body felt like it would collapse if someone even brushed past me. I couldn't help but stare into Andre's eyes, and I tried to pull away, but I couldn't resist. His eyes drew me in, called to me. I heard myself speak, and I immediately forgot everything that was happening. "The window does not need to be opened." Andre broke the stare, and I felt released, and I relaxed again.

I turned around to see Andre searching through the drawers next to his bed. I frowned, and crossed my arms. "What are you looking for?" I asked.

"My necklace. I've seemed to have misplaced it. I need it."

I frowned, confused. "Why do you need it?"

He stopped searching, and paused. "It's...a family antique. It was my father's."

I smiled. "I've never seen you wear it before."

Andre didn't look at me, and continued to search through his drawers. "I always wear it. I keep it tucked in my shirt. That is why I am so confused. I swear I was wearing it last night, and then I woke up this morning, and it was gone."

I couldn't recall Andre wearing a necklace when we went swimming the day before. But then again, I was already occupied enough with his muscled body and toned arms.

"Well, what does it look like?"

"It's a long silver chain, with a large dark blue oval pendant on it. The pendant is outlined with sliver, and there is a small silver cross that lies over the top of the dark blue."

"It sounds beautiful, Andre. Don't worry. It couldn't have gone too far. It should be around here somewhere. I'll help you look for it."

Again, he didn't look at me. He just nodded and continued searching through all of his belongings for his precious necklace. I rolled my eyes. Since when was a necklace much more important than one's lover? I shook my head, and decided to search through his clothes drawers. My hands pushed clothes this way and that, and I gasped when my hands came across something wet. It looked red and dark in the light, and it had a metallic smell to it. It was blood.

Andre appeared in front of me again, and snatched up a bloodied shirt from the drawer. He ran it over my hands, trying to clean up as much of it as he could.

"Why is there blood on your shirt, Andre?" I hissed.

He didn't answer straight away. He hesitated at first, and just stroked my hands as he removed all of the blood from them. His mood had changed. He wasn't frustrated and irritated like he was before. He was calmer, and seemed as though he was exhausted. I frowned. "Andre, why is there blood on your shirt?"

He didn't answer straight away. He continued to stroke my hands, even though all of the blood had been cleaned. "It's my blood, Eleanor. I accidentally cut my stomach last night when I stumbled in the dark. That was the shirt that I had on, and I used it to soak up the blood."

I sighed. "I'm so relieved!" Andre gave me a puzzled look. I shook my head drastically and held my hands up. "No! I don't mean that! I'm not relieved that you cut yourself. I'm relieved because I thought that it was someone else's!" I placed my hands on his chest and smiled as his hands hesitantly curled around me.

"Why would you think that, Eleanor?" I heard him ask.

My heart started to race. I had angered him, I could tell. I had not meant to insult him.

"I...I was just...I was just worried, that's all." I stammered. I knew that I was making things worse every second, and I knew I had to cover it up with a lie. I hung my head, pretending to be frightened and ashamed. "I was afraid that you had gotten into a fight, or something. I was worried."

I raised my head, and looked deeply into his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Andre. Can you please forgive me?"

He smiled and stroked my back. "Of course I can, my dear."

I leaned forward and gave him a small kiss on his lips. They felt firmer than usual, and the skin was slightly cracked. I pulled back and smiled, stroking his cheek with the very tips of my fingers.

I stepped away from Andre's grinning face and slowly slipped out of his room, strolling down the corridors with a large silly grin on my face.

My mind started to wonder again. I was curious. Andre had explained the reason for there being blood on his shirt, but I was still not completely sure that it was the entire truth. Especially with the recent murder of Alice Finnegan, I was worried that there might have been more to the story than what he was telling me. Had Andre killed Alice Finnegan? He didn't seem too concerned after we had taken her body to the infirmity.

I shook my head. I was being idiotic. Andre couldn't kill anyone. He was the kindest, handsome man in this castle. He couldn't possibly be a killer, could he?

I shook my head and laughed at my idiocy. I was being foolish. Andre was beautiful. He could never kill anyone. I let myself laugh, and listened to it echo through the halls.

But my laughter was cut short when I felt something push me from behind, and I fell on my face and my breasts. A large pain ran through me, and I turned around quickly to see what it was that had pushed me.

A sudden wind lifted my hair quickly off my shoulders and flapped in the wind before resting again. I rose to my feet, slowly, taking my time and trying to recover from my sudden fall. I ran my hands through the material of my dress, smoothing it down and fixing it in various places.

I could hear another running sound, and I stopped to listen. But it was a very big mistake. Something hard and heavy hit my head, forcing me to fall to the ground once again. I groaned, and rolled over onto my back. I could feel something warm and slick running down my forehead, and I wiped it away with my fingers. I pulled them back and looked at them, and it took me a while to realise it was blood.

I gasped, and let out a tired whine. I wiped my bloodied hands on my dress. I heard long heavy panting escape past my lips, and I heard myself cough. I was absolutely breathless, and my head ached with tremendous pain. I heard a wicked laugh, and it pierced my ears. I closed my eyes, and opened to see a blonde-haired girl standing over me. She looked very familiar, but my head ached too much to be able to recognise who she was.

She laughed again, and stroked my hair away from my face. Her hands were cold, and they sent shivers all over my skin, but not the good kind that Andre sent me.

"You're such a pretty, fragile little thing, aren't you?" she whispered in a sweet, mocking tone. "I can see why Andre adores you so much, Eleanor."

I frowned. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

She laughed again, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Forgotten me so soon, have you, lovely? I'm Emily, remember?"

My mind flashed back to five nights before, when I had met Emily at the dinner to welcome my brother home. I remembered how Andre had hit her away, the glares that he had given her. I was confused as to why he was doing it before. Now I knew what his reasons were.

She wasn't human. I knew that for certain. She walked, talked, and held herself like a human, but she was anything but. I tried to scurry away, pushing forcefully with my legs and my hands, but I didn't make it very far before Emily brought her foot down on my leg. I could hear the snap of my bones, and I screamed in pain. The scream rang in my ears for ages, but all I could think of was the unbelievable pain that surged through my left leg.

I sighed and gasped, trying to get the air back into my lungs, but I found that it was just too hard for me. Emily was so quick and swift with her movements, and I found it hard to register everything that she was doing. She brought her leg up, and forced her foot into my ribcage, and I swear I could hear the bones crack. But she didn't bother to allow me to catch my breath, as her hand curled up into a fist, and the fist met with my cheek. The punch was a lot harder and hurt a lot more than it looked, and I could feel a crack in the bone of my cheek.

I was winded, and I struggled to get the air back and circulating in my lungs. Emily didn't care about my pain or misery, though. She just stood there, laughing merrily and jumping around my body lightly on her toes. Before I could even attempt to move away from Emily, she had leapt behind my head and wrapped my long brain hair around her pale, long, bony fingers, gripping it tightly in her hands.

"This is all Andre's fault, you know. If he hadn't have been so obsessed with you in the first place, we wouldn't be here. But our entire existence is threatened by his little adventure, his little fantasy with you and everyone in my world believes that the appropriate thing to do is remove the temptation from his path."

I frowned. "Remove the temptation? Are you...do you mean me?"

I couldn't see her, but I knew that her mouth was pulling up into an evil smirk. Her grip on my hair tightened, and I could feel her cool sweet breath on my neck. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and I wanted nothing more than to be in my room, without my broken leg, cracked ribs and bloodied and bruised body.

"You seem to catch on quick, darling," Emily whispered, and I heard a growl escape her lips. I gasped with surprise, and wriggled, trying to get out of her grasp. I failed, and her hand clutched harder and harder onto my hair, I swear I felt some of it rip out.

I closed my eyes, and said a silent prayer, wishing that my brother and mother would live a happy life, and wouldn't be too affected by my death, and I whispered how much I loved Andre to myself. I sat, and waited for whatever Emily had planned for me.

I heard a loud, ear piercing scream come from Emily, and there was a sudden release of my hair. My head fell hard against the pavement, and I wheezed from the pain.

My vision started to blur. Shapes turned into fuzzy creatures, and I felt that my body had been lifted off the ground and that I was flying through the air. My eyes were starting to close, and the darkness was slowly creeping in. It was pulling me under, stealing me away from the world.

The last thing that I remembered hearing was the evil cackling laugh from Emily, and an apprehensive voice call out my name.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_**Sorry it has taken me so long to post a new chapter. As I mentioned in my updates, I just got a new job, and I have been trying to balance everything out altogether. :) So I apologise heaps.**_

_**As I mention on my homepage, I won't be posting too much for a while. I have a lot of exams to study for, and they are distracting me from this for a little while. And I want to do really well in my exams, so I am banning myself for writing unless I am in a really bad mood and need to let off some steam. :)**_

_**So again, I apologise for the lack of updates and the crappy chapters. When my exams are over, I will get straight back to writing. I know how this story is going to end, so it shouldn't be too long before I finish it. I hope you've been enjoying it.**_

_**Anywho, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**_

_**TSO123. X **_

**Chapter Fourteen**

_I woke to find myself lying on soft, green grass, and the smell of jasmine and rose heavily filled my nose. I sighed, and allowed my eyes to open slowly, slowly._

_I was at the lake, the lake that Andre had taken me to. It had been our first adventure as a couple, and I could remember every detail. From the long, luxurious swim in the warm, crystal clear water, to the body of poor Alice Finnegan, which fell out of a tree nearby, not long after the swim._

_I looked down at myself. I was wearing a lovely pink dress, which was small, and quite frail. It wasn't at all like the large heavy dresses I had been wearing recently. I felt released, free._

_I smiled and looked up towards the glistening sun, embracing its warmth and light. A soft touch on my arm made me jump, and I sighed when I saw it was only Andre. I grinned harder, and enjoyed how he was stroking his long fingers up and down my arm, in a slow repetitive motion. _

_He leaned forward, and placed his hand on my cheek, and slowly slid his hand down my neck, tracing the bottom of my jaw with his thumb. His face was incredibly close to mine, and it made me yearn for him, like his body always did. He looked down into my eyes, and smiled._

"_I love you, Andre," I whispered. I gasped at my sudden sentence, but I didn't do anything but flush and smile._

_He didn't say anything. He stopped smiling, and slowly lifted himself off my body. I watch as he took five paces away from me, and I sat with my mouth open wide as he slowly morphed into Sebastian. I could feel myself starting to pant. I pushed as hard as I could away from him, and felt my back crash into something heavy and hard. I turned to see Emily standing behind me, looking down as if I were her next prey. Blood ran down from the corner of her mouth and her teeth were very pointed and sharp. I winced at the sight of her, but I couldn't find anywhere to escape._

_Sebastian was suddenly in front of me, and was stroking the side of my face. His lips met my eyelids, and brushed them ever so softly. He sat back and smiled, and I flinched as Emily gripped my hair again. Sebastian's pulled up into a smirk, which revealed a set of sharp, pointy teeth, a lot like Emily's. I tried to pull away as Sebastian continued to stroke my face, but I felt Emily's grip tighten, and I could feel my hair being pulled out of my scull. Sebastian just smiled and whispered, "Don't worry, darling. This won't hurt a bit. I promise."_

_Before I could ask him any questions, Emily pulled my head back exposing my neck, and I watched as Sebastian's eyes rolled back in his head and turned red, and he sank his teeth into the flesh of my neck._

I woke up startled, and I found myself clutching the bed sheets to my chest. I was panting, and the sound rang in my ears. Still panting, I allowed my eyes to wander around the room. I was in the infirmary, and Andre was sitting in a chair next to me, his right hand firmly gripping my left. He looked better than he did earlier. His eyes were their usual chocolate again, and his skin was more golden, and the circles under his eyes had seemed to disappear.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw his face. He grinned back, and his thumb ran over my knuckle in a soothing way.

"About time you woke up, sweetheart," he whispered. I smiled and nodded. "How long have I been asleep for?" my voice was hoarse, and my throat felt dry and scratchy. I cringed at the pain, but continued to smile through.

"About thirteen hours. It's around three o'clock in the morning now," Andre replied.

I gasped. "Three o'clock in the morning! What on earth are you doing up? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Andre chuckled and shook his head. "I don't sleep very well. And I wanted to make sure that someone was looking after my beautiful girl. I want her out of a hospital bed sooner or later, and then straight into mine."

He winked and I pushed him away, flushing slightly. My mind suddenly flashed back to earlier today, the major incident where Emily had brutally attacked me. I sat up in my bed, unexpectedly worried, and I glanced around the room. "Emily," I hissed in my rasping voice. "Where is she?"

Andre made a soothing noise and told me to calm down. "Emily is gone. You won't be hearing from her for a while."

"Andre, what was she? She was not human."

Andre shrugged slightly, as if he did not care. "She is human, Eleanor. Don't worry about it. She's gone."

I sat up immediately, and glared at him. "Andre, I'm not going to stop worrying about it. She broke my leg, for crying out loud! She broke my ribs with just a couple of punches. I felt my cheekbone crack when she slapped my face. She is not a human being, Andre. She's a monster."

Andre took my hand in both of his and forced me to look into his eyes. "Eleanor, your legs are not broken. Your cheekbones are fine. Your ribs are fine. The only injuries you have are a couple of bruises to your body and your neck. Everything is fine."

I was growing frustrated now. I knew what I had seen. Emily had convinced me that she was not human. "But Andre, I know what I saw. She was faster than any human in the world. I remember hearing a snap when she brought her foot down on mine. She told me that I was a threat to her existence."

I swallowed hard, trying not to think about Emily. "Andre, what was she?"

Andre laughed, without any humour, and looked away. "Eleanor, for goodness sake! She is human!" he snapped.

I flinched at the harshness of his voice, and bit my lip, forcing myself not to cry. I couldn't understand why he was lying to me. I didn't know why he was trying to convince me that I was delusional. I looked away, and frowned. "I know she's not human. And I know you're not either."

I watched as Andre's body tensed, and his shoulders started to hunch. "What?" I heard him whisper.

"Emily kept telling me how I was a threat to your existence, and that I was going to ruin everything. So, whatever she is, you are too. Please, Andre. I need to know what is going on. I need to have some sort of understanding."

Andre continued to be silent. I watched him stand up, and he didn't look back at me. He took a step forward, and I watched as he slightly hesitated. His face turned to me, but he didn't say anything. He just took a deep breath, and walked off, without another glance at me.

I could feel my heart break right there. The tears fell down my face as I watched his back shrink further and further away. I regretted saying the things that I did, and all I wanted right now was to have him back in my arms, I wanted to feel his silky hair between my fingers and feel the smooth warmth of his skin under my fingertips.

But it was too late now. He was gone. He was angry with me, and I knew that he would take a while to calm down. I sighed, and bit my lip hard, forcing myself not to cry. Crying was a sign of weakness. That was what my mother had told me. That was why she never cried after my father died, not in public anyway. "Crying doesn't do anything, Eleanor. Crying will not bring your father back to me," I remembered her saying.

I couldn't really my mother and my father together as a couple. I barely knew him. He had left when I was very little, and I only saw him occasionally; when he visited the castle to see my mother briefly, and then he was off again. He was adventurous, like myself, and travelled to every destination possible in the world. When he saw me, he would tell me all about his adventures, about the types of people he met, the places he visited, and all the delicious and extraordinary cuisines he experienced. I envied his lifestyle. I wanted to be able to travel the world and meet new people and visit strange and wonderful places, but my mother was always telling me that I would never be able to, not in this lifetime anyway.

My father had died from an outbreak of malaria when he was over in Africa. He died only days after, due to the lack of medical supplies and know-how among his companions. The news reached my mother a few weeks later, and she told me, but I assume that she wrote to Dimitri first.

I was staring up at the ceiling, my arm draped across my forehead, my mind lost completely in thought. I looked around me, and noticed that the windows were open, and the curtains were drawn. A large beam of sunlight filled up the infirmary. I frowned. I must've fallen asleep. The last I remembered, it was three o'clock in the morning.

I sighed, and allowed my eyes to wonder around the room. My eyes landed on my brother sitting in the chair next to my bed. His hand covered the hand that was resting beside me, and he smiled.

I flinched at first, then relaxed once I realised who it was. I grinned and wriggled closer to him. He pressed his lips lightly against my hand and looked at my face.

"Oh Ellie, what trouble have you been getting into now?" he asked.

I frowned. "I have not been getting into any trouble."

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Sure you haven't, kiddo. What have you done to land yourself in here this time?"

I opened my mouth, ready to tell Dimitri everything that had happened. I was going to tell him about Andre was acting incredibly odd when I went to visit him yesterday, and I was going to launch into my story of how Emily had some sort of supernatural powers and how she was the reason I was in here in the first place. But how would he believe me? Even thinking about it to myself sounded insane, and I had witnessed every moment. I closed my mouth, and smiled, swallowing back hard.

"I...I fell down some stairs," I muttered. I tried my best to look embarrassed, and pretended to be annoyed when Dimitri started to laugh at me.

"Oh, sweetheart, how did you manage to fall down the stairs?" he chuckled.

I folded my arms, and frowned. "I was hurrying down to the gardens, when I slipped and fell. Andre found me at the bottom of the stairs and took me to the infirmary. I'm lucky he found me when he did. The doctor told me that I could've snapped my neck and died right then and there."

I watched as Dimitri's grin turned into a firm line. "Well, I'm glad that he did find you. I'll to find him and thank him."

My eyes widened, and I scrambled up in my bed. "Oh, no, Dimitri. Really...that's not necessary. I already thanked him."

"I don't care, Eleanor. The honourable thing to do is to thank him for saving my girl, man to man."

Dimitri pushed his chair back, and stepped around it, leaning in to give me a kiss before he left. "Get better, Ellie. You should be allowed to leave soon."

He walked off before I had the chance to stop him. What was I going to do? What if Dimitri ended up finding Andre? What if Andre accidentally tells Dimitri that I was attacked by a supernatural killing machine?

I had to stop Dimitri.

My hands curled up into fists, and I threw the bed sheets off me, preparing to run down the hallway. I realised that I was still in a nightgown, and I glanced around the room, trying to find my clothes. I found them sitting on a chair next to my bedside table, and bundled them into my arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" I heard a stern voice say from behind. I spun around and saw a middle aged woman standing in a nurse's uniform, with her stubby hands on her wide hips. "You should be in bed!"

My hands were trembling, and I watched as the bundle of clothes shook in my hands. "The doctor released me."

The woman narrowed her eyes, and took a step forward. "Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"That's odd. Where's your medical test?"

Medical test? I tried to wipe the confusion off my face as best as I could, and shrugged. "I think he took it with him."

The nurse rolled her eyes. "Well, I will go check." She pointed a stubby finger at me and glared. "Stay here."

I nodded, and smiled innocently. The minute she was out of sight, I threw my nightgown off me, and forced myself into the clean dress. It was white, and very plain, but I wasn't worried about that at the moment.

After forcing myself into the heavy dress, I peeked around the infirmary, to make sure the stubborn nurse wasn't around. When I saw that there was no one around, I took off, darting out of the infirmary, and not looking back.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Luckily for me, no one was in the hallways, so I didn't have to worry about people wondering why I was rushing down the hallways in a spare hospital gown.

I rushed through the hallways, searching far and wide for any sign of Dimitri or Andre. Dimitri couldn't have been too far ahead of me. He left only a few minutes before I did.

I stopped at the corner of one of the hallways, panting. I had never run so hard in my life. I opened my eyes, and glanced over the balconies and the windows. My heart lifted when I noticed a tall man with dark hair walking away from me. Dimitri.

I sucked in my breath, and began to run again. I was so close to Dimitri. I wanted to call out to him, and tell him to stop, but I only had enough air in my lungs for running.

I started to panic when I saw Andre waltz around the corner, and I ducked behind a nearby wall. I peeked from where I was standing, and watched as my brother stopped Andre. My heart ached as I remembered my last conversation with him. Yet again, I yearned to touch him, and feel him against me. I wanted to kneel at his feet and beg forgiveness, and apologise deeply for accusing him of lying. Even though I knew he wasn't telling me the whole truth, I didn't want to fight with him. I felt lost without his presence.

I continued to watch as my brother smiled and shook Andre's hand. Andre was a little confused at first, but he wasn't rude, and smiled back.

"Andre, I wanted to thank you, for what you did for Ellie."

Andre smiled, and waved his hand. "No problem. She's a wonderful girl."

I could feel my heart skip.

Dimitri chuckled, and nodded. "I'm glad you think so. But seriously, Andre. As the man of the Jones family, I wanted to thank you for saving her life. If it wasn't for you, she may not be here."

Andre's eyes widened and he stepped forward, lowering his voice. "Did she tell you the truth?"

Dimitri frowned, confused. "Of course she did. Why wouldn't she?"

I groaned to myself, and pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and finger.

"You know it's not true," Andre said, a little too quickly. "She was probably a little tired from the medication. She might not be telling the right story."

"She seemed fine when I saw her this morning, Andre. She was talking and smiling."

"Have the doctors given her any more medication, Dimitri? Her injuries weren't too horrible."

Dimitri shook his head. He was puzzled. I groaned again, and covered my eyes. "I don't know. She only had a few cuts and bruises, and that's expected when you've just fallen down a flight of stairs."

Andre looked up, confused, and frowned. "What?"

"She fell down a flight of stairs, Andre. She says that if you hadn't have found her, she could've broken her neck and died instantly. What on earth are you talking about?"

Andre's eyes widened, but his surprise was quickly replaced with a smile. "Of course. Yes, that's true. She fell down a flight of stairs. I saw her fall, and rushed over quickly and carried her to the hospital. I was scared that she would have some broken bones, but she just had a few cuts and bruises."

My brother's eyes narrowed with suspicion, and he nodded. "Very well. It was nice to see you again, Andre. I think my sister comes out of the infirmary today, so you might be able to catch up with her. I think she is very grateful for what you did for her."

Andre nodded. "Of course. Good day, Dimitri."

I watched as my brother gave Andre one last questioning look, then shook his head and walked away. I turned around, and rested my back against the wall, my eyes closed. All I could hear was the steady panting coming from my lungs. My panting was interrupted by a "Hello, Eleanor."

My eyes flew open, and I was staring into Andre's chocolate brown eyes. He was incredibly close, as there wasn't a lot of room in the doorway. He had a smirk on his face, and I wanted to swat him. But at the same time, I was glad that he wasn't irritated at me anymore.

"So, have you recovered from falling down the stairs?" he asked, a hint of a chuckle in his voice.

I frowned and placed my hands on my hips. "You know very well that I couldn't tell him the truth. He wouldn't have believed me! How could I tell him that some confused girl called Emily threatened me and convinced me that you and her were part of a different species? It sounds absurd saying it right now!"

"So you don't believe that she was telling the truth?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Just because I lied to my family, it doesn't mean that my beliefs have changed. I know what I saw, Andre."

I watched as Andre let out an exasperated sigh, and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, Eleanor. Why must you be so stubborn?"

I couldn't help but giggle. Andre gave me a stern look, but his lips pulled up into a smile as well. He leaned in, and kissed me, twirling my hair into his fingers. Before I could attempt to deepen it, he pulled away, and smiled. He didn't say anything more as he walked away, and left me standing there smiling like an idiot.

I didn't know why, but Andre's kisses always left me breathless. My heart raced with joy, and my hands started to sweat every time his lips pressed against me.

I leaned heavily against the door, and breathed in a large sigh. I stumbled when I felt the wall behind me collapse slightly. I turned around, puzzled, and observed a hidden door. It was blended to look like it was part of the wall.

I glanced around, to see if anyone was watching, and luckily for me, the hallways were deserted. I allowed curiosity to get the better of me, and slowly crept into the dark and empty room.

There was a sudden chill the moment I entered the room, and I had to rely on the small beam of light that escaped from behind a curtain to navigate around the room. Making sure the door was closed behind me; I stepped around and wandered over to the curtain, pulling it open as far as I could.

I spluttered as I inhaled the dust that flew off the curtains. I winced as my eyes adjusted to the harsh sunlight that filled the room. My eyes wandered over the room, and I took in my surroundings. Everything in the room was covered with dust, which proved that the room hadn't been visited in a while.

The room was completely empty. Large white sheets that had turned cream over time covered every object in the room, along with the dust. My hands traced over the sheets, and I watched the dust dance in the light with amazement. It seemed that no one knew that this room existed, and it made it even more exciting for me.

My eyes fell on a large chest of drawers at the front of the room. I allowed curiosity to get the better of me, and I allowed myself to look into the drawers. I sighed with disappointment as I discovered that they were exactly like the room; empty.

A loud screech from behind made me jump, and I gasped as my heart raced in my throat. I forced myself to look behind me, and saw nothing.

I had had enough. My curious nature had been satisfied enough for one day. I bunched the skirts of my dress in my hands, and jogged to the door.

The toe of my shoe got caught in something, and I felt myself be dragged to the floor. A groan escaped my lips, and I turned, quickly, searching for the thing that forced me to fall so suddenly.

My shoe had gotten stuck in one of the floorboards, and I pulled at the boot to release it. I didn't realise until I had released the boot that it had lifted one of the floorboards. I frowned, puzzled and scurried over to the board. Even though there wasn't a lot of light in the room, I was still able to see that something had been hidden under the boards.

I slowly placed my hand deep into hole, and felt my hand wrap around a small rectangular object. Bringing it to the surface, I was able to see that it was a wooden box, sort of like a jewellery box. My hands carefully wiped some of the dust away from the lid of the container, and I smiled down at the beauty of the lid.

The box was completely made of wood, and carved into the hinged lid, was a picture of two beautiful cherubs, leaning in closely, lips barely touching. I continued to smile as my hands found the latch to the box, and I slowly lifted it open, revealing the contents inside.

My heart sank slightly when all I saw were a bunch of papers and notes. I was half hoping for some jewellery, or something incredibly valuable.

The first item that I could see was an envelope. It was quite old, and some of the writing had faded slightly. I narrowed my eyes and attempted to read the discoloured writing, and pursed my lips with confusion when I saw that it was addressed to _Mrs. M.A. Jones_.

This letter was for my mother. I began to wonder if she had read it before, or if someone had possibly gotten to it before her.

The letter had been opened, which was not surprising, but I noticed something on the envelope that forced me to gasp.

A name was written on the back of the envelope.

And the name was my father's.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

_**Hey everyone. :)**_

_**Well, I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I have been incredibly busy. My exams are completely finished, so that is one thing out of the way. But I still am getting adjusted to my new job, and I hopefully can get everything sorted, and get some sort of routine going on before the end of the year. :)**_

_**So yes. I apologise again. And also for the story and myth about the vampires, I know it's not the truth. I am making this story up. It is meant to be fictional. So if I got the facts wrong, please don't have a go at me about it. It's just a story. :) It's how I want it to be.**_

_**So, again I am sorry about the late reply. I promise to get into a writing routine soon. :)**_

_**Happy reading!**_

_**TSO123. X **_

**Chapter Sixteen**

I couldn't wait another minute. I had to see what the letter was about. It had been addressed to my mother, and it was a breech in her privacy, but I wanted to know more about my father. I wanted to know more about his past, what type of person he was, what sort of things he enjoyed. I knew next to nothing about my father, and I could feel my heart swell with happiness at the thought of getting something back from my father.

I gently waved the envelope in the dust-filled air, and observed a slip of paper slowly float towards the ground. With careful hands, I picked up the paper, and unfolded it, revealing the words and the details to my mind.

The letter was written in a neat and beautiful cursive script. I smiled, and laughed as a tear came to my eye. I was finally going to learn what my father was like, and I could feel the joy and excitement well up in my chest. Without sparing another second, I looked down and begun to read the letter that my father had written.

_3__rd__ November 1846_

_To my darling and precious Mary-Anne,_

_Not a moment has passed that I haven't thought of you. My darling, I miss you so much. I wish for us to be together. I want to be home so that I can hold you again, feel the warmth of your skin against mine, the sparks you send me when you trail your fingers down my skin, the chemistry and heat I feel when your lips are against mine. I yearn for it, my love. I ache without you._

_I am currently in Rome, Italy. I am proud to announce that I have made a new discovery. There have been rumours of animal attacks around the village, haunting the poor residents whilst they sleep. There have been a few mysterious deaths in the village lately, and what we've discovered here is that all the bodies have been bitten and drained of blood. The most common location of the bites is at the neck, close to the pulse. Everyone assumes that it is an animal attack, but I am not so sure. I believe that there is more to the story than we know. But what struck me as interesting was the claim that I heard an older woman make. She is a terrible old hag, always covered in her robes, her head buried in her hood. Her face is wrinkled and her skin has turned leathery over the past years. _

_But this woman strikes me as interesting. I assume that she is homeless, as I constantly see her sitting in the same alleyway, every single day, repeating the words "The Night Children have returned." She shouts at anyone that will listen to her._

_People ignore her, and claim that she has gotten too old. Others claim that a demon has possessed her. But I can't help but acknowledge the nagging feeling that there could be some truth in what she is saying._

_I think that I should talk to her, and listen to her claims. I know that it may sound a little extreme and a little idiotic, but I want to rule out all possibilities, and I want to jump at the opportunity and possibility of a new discovery of a new species. I need to collect some more evidence, but I am very confident in this._

_I shall write to you again soon. You have no idea how the distance between us tears me apart. I can only wish that I can be there for the birth of our first child. I can't believe that I could miss it. I would be delighted if it is a boy or a girl. My preferred names are Dimitri for a boy, and Eleanor if the child is female._

_Good luck my love, and I hope I will be home in time to witness the bringing of our child into the world. _

_Loving you forever and beyond,_

_Robert._

My heart ached at the familiarity of my father's words and emotions. I clumsily rubbed away the tears that had fallen down my cheeks. I breathed a sigh of disappointment and heartache.

I let out another sigh, and searched the chest for something else, preferably another letter. Luckily for me, there were quite a few, all addressed to my mother, all written from my father. My heart skipped as I opened up another letter and allowed the contents to smother me.

_Mary-Anne,_

_I have decided to stay in Rome for a little longer, as I finally believe that I have made some progress in the mysterious situation that I have come across. To be able to finish and conclude my discoveries, I am required to stay in Rome. I am not going to be able to return to London in time for the birth of our child. _

_Please forgive me. You have every right to detest me._

_Love Robert._

I wondered if Dimitri knew that Father was not there for his birth. He would be absolutely shattered, and who knows what could happen to him.

I continued to search the chest, and stumbled across many diaries, or notebooks, whatever they were. I lifted one out gently, and carefully blew away the dust that covered the book. I knew that my father wrote down all his thoughts and feelings that related to his work in his diaries, or a book of some sort. He was always telling me that to be a terrific explorer, you had to document everything, or else it didn't include as anything.

I was curious about the old woman my father spoke about in his letters. I wanted to know more about her and her accusations. Who were the Night Children that she spoke about? And could she be related to the woman who made the same accusations when Alice had died?

I continued to search, and found nothing. I couldn't find a single thing. All that he wrote about were his journeys and the women he had met and how they were so charming, and how he stumbled across the odd berry and flower now and then. But there was nothing that related to the insane woman in Rome.

Until I noticed a drawing in my father's diary that caught my eye. It was a woman. She looked old and rugged, and her face was buried in her hood, as my father had described. Underneath the picture, my father had documented what she had said.

_5__th__ November 1846_

_I spoke to the older woman today, and asked her what she meant about her theory on "Night Children". She just continued to repeat the same words over and over. "The Night Children have returned. No one is safe." I noticed people giving me strange stares as they walked past, many people wondering why I was talking to the crazy old woman in the lane._

_I knew that the woman would respond well to money, and I'm glad that my accusation was right. In Italian, I asked her again what the Night Children were, and if they were responsible for the many attacks that had been occurring through the past weeks. Greedily, she took the money and hissed at me to come forward._

"_The Night Children," she began, "The Night Children are to be feared by all. Many people do not know how strong and significant they are."_

"_What is so dangerous about them?" I asked._

_Again, she hissed and pulled me closer. "You shouldn't be asking about them, my boy. You could be their next victim."_

_Getting exasperated, I handed over some more coins to the unfortunate woman. She smiled, and nodded hastily. "The Night Children are creatures of the Night. They are a punishment from the Lord himself. He cursed a woman who betrayed her husband one night when she forced a knife to his heart, and collected the blood that washed away from his deceased body, and forced it down the throat of her oldest son. _

"_The Lord told her that if she was so bloodthirsty, He would turn her into a creature that would crave nothing but blood. Human blood would be the only thing that she would be able to survive on, and the only thing that would satisfy her. She would never be able to see daylight again, and can only exist during the night, if she wanted to live. He told her that she would burn in the sunlight, and her mouth would always be craving the sickly metallic taste of human blood, no matter how badly she avoided it. She would not be able to control her urges and her lust for blood, and as a real punishment, He gave her long pointed teeth, and they would extend whenever she neared a human._

"_He didn't want to completely punish her, so he allowed her to keep her beauty, and then some. Rumour has it that their teeth, or fangs as the believers call them, contain some sort of poison, that can cause the human that the creature drinks from to become weak, and if the creature drinks enough of the victim's blood, she would be able to force her blood into the victim, and at dark the very next night, the weak person would become an incredibly strong, bloodthirsty creature, like the beautiful woman who killed her husband, thousands of years ago."_

_I remembered to let out the breath that I had kept sucked in as the woman told the story. "What else do you know?" I asked her, but the old woman simply held out her hand, demanding another payment. I didn't care how much this was going to cost me. This could get me to the end of this mystery._

"_The woman became furious, killing whoever she could whenever she was able to. She wanted people to suffer the way she did. She wanted humans to feel the same thing that she did. She took note of God's words, and if she didn't drain her victims completely, she would feed her blood into her victim, forcing them to become a bloodthirsty creature. Many of her victim's enjoyed becoming a horrible monster, they enjoyed being free, the immortality. But others despised it. _

"_Many killed themselves during the first few months of their new life. They attempted to jump off bridges, force themselves to be run over by horses and carts, or burn themselves with pokers from the blacksmith's. Nothing worked. One victim discovered a very powerful weapon to these creatures. Stakes._

"_Two creatures were arguing one day. In the heat of the argument, one of the creatures picked up a large wooden plank and forced it into the heart of his friend. He was absolutely shocked, and watched in amazement as his friend disappeared. His friend turned to ash, and slowly blew away in the wind. He was shattered. He had taken advantage of his and his friend's immortality. Not wanting to put up with the guilt, the creature lifted the plank that his friend had been murdered with, the blood still fresh, and forced it into his own heart. He didn't want to be separated from his friend. He wanted the two of them to be together."_

"_What are these creatures called?" I asked the woman._

_She beckoned me with her finger, and whispered softly in my ear._

"_Vampire."_

_I gasped, and escaped the suddenly incredibly small space as quickly as I could. What the woman said, it was madness! How could one imagine or believe that this is true?_

_But I can't dismiss the feeling that I have inside. What if this woman's accusations are true? What if there is such thing as the Night Children? What if they are responsible for these current events?_

_Oh, what am I to do? I explained the situation to my colleges, but they laughed at me, and told me that I was barking mad, and that they should get me home soon. What am I to do?_

That was how the diary ended. I was completely baffled. What was this woman going on about? Such creatures didn't exist. Bloodsucking, blood craving creatures? This woman had to be insane. There was no such thing, wasn't there?

But my father seemed to have believed her. He was a bit apprehensive about it, but I knew that eventually, he would've seen her way.

I shook my head in confusion continued to look through the diary. There had to be something else in there that could explain my father's incredibly odd behaviour, and more about the story of the vampires.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

_**Life has been so busy and hectic recently that I haven't been able to post any chapters. I am really sorry, and I hope that you are still interested in my stories. :)**_

_**This chapter isn't as good as what I was hoping it would be, but hopefully I can make it up in the next few chapters.**_

_**Unfortunately I am nearing the end of "A Fading Rose". But I am hoping to make a sequel, and hopefully it will be as popular as this book.**_

_**Thanks for reading. Again, sorry for not updating recently. :)**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

_**TSO123. x**_

**Chapter Seventeen**

I stumbled across another drawing in my father's diary. It was incredibly frightening, it forced me to gasp. It was a beautiful young man, possibly my age. He was absolutely beautiful, except for the fact that he had two teeth in the front of his mouth that had extended, and they were incredibly sharp and pointy. He held a woman in his arms, which looked dead and lifeless in his arms. She had two puncture wounds in her neck, and blood trailed from both of them. That was when I noticed the dark liquid at the corner of the man's mouth. I gasped when I realised it was blood. And not just anyone's blood. It was the girl's blood. He was a vampire.

Before I could get anything else from the picture, I looked at the entry my father had written. It was exactly 5 days after he had documented the first one that I had read.

_10__th__ November 1846_

_I have been discovering and researching more information about the accusation that the woman had made. Vampires. Everyone laughs when I even mention the name. But I notice fear in many people's eyes when I mention the word, and makes me wonder if they're really all as fake as what people believe them to be._

_What I know about vampires so far is that they are incredibly beautiful, strong human-like creatures that feast on the blood of innocent and weak victims. They have fangs, and prefer to bite and draw blood from the victim's neck. Their skin is incredibly pale and icy cold, but to fool some people, many vampires stand in front of fires to warm their skin to room temperature, to pass themselves as humans._

_I also know that they are incredibly bloodthirsty, and prefer to feed on human blood._

_Vampires are gifted with incredible speed, making it almost impossible to catch and kill one. But there are other ways to kill one. Wooden sticks, sharpened at the end, called stakes, can be used to kill a vampire. They are also vulnerable to the sun, so they prefer to appear at night._

_I have also heard that due to witchcraft, some vampires are able to walk in the sun. A witch must charm an item for the vampire to wear, and this item enables the vampire to walk in daylight._

_Apparently the vampire rate is on a rise, and no one is safe._

My heart was starting to race. What if what my father was saying was true? Did vampires truly exist?

My mind flashed to Andre, and I immediately became suspicious. When I went to visit him the other day, he had not wanted me to open the curtains. He didn't want the sunlight to get through.

He was also looking for a necklace that he wore constantly. Was this what my father had meant? Andre could walk in the sun, though. He hadn't burned when I had seen him. But maybe he had charmed this necklace he was looking for, and that was what kept him from burning in the sun?

My head began to pound with frustration and confusion. Andre couldn't be a vampire. He just couldn't!

I couldn't help but think of all the times that he touched me, how his skin was so incredibly warm against mine. That must prove something, mustn't it?

No. I refused to believe anything that my father had written. These creatures did not exist. They just didn't. They couldn't.

I began to think of Alice, and her unfortunate death. I remembered how Andre turned away almost immediately when he saw her body. His voice was muffled when I asked him if he was alright. If he was a vampire, maybe his voice was muffled due to his fangs.

My head ached again, and I let out a sob of frustration. I didn't want this to be happening. This wasn't supposed to happen!

I remembered walking back with Andre on that horrible day, and noticing the tiny bit of blood on the side of his mouth. It didn't make sense as to why it was there before. Now, it did.

A wave of nausea fell over me, and I felt myself grasping my neck. The air was trapped in my lungs, and my body wouldn't allow me to breathe. I found myself coughing, choking, spitting all over the old diaries and letters.

Tears welled in my eyes, and I knew that I was being pathetic. I was allowing love to blind me from the truth. I continued to splutter, and I knew I had to get out of this room.

Scrambling to my feet, I pushed against every panel in the wall until I found the one that opened out to the corridor. My heart raced as I tore down the hallways, desperately seeking some air, human contact, anything that could help me recover from the facts that I had recently discovered.

I slowed down to a fast walk, gasping and sobbing as I walked the hallways. I wanted people to be around. I didn't want to be alone.

But the corridors were empty. There wasn't anyone around. My heart started to beat harder, and I knew that I had to get back to my room as quickly as I could. I could feel myself breathing harder and harder, and I couldn't rest my mind. All I could think of was if Andre really was a vampire, and how was I going to avoid him. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face him yet.

But it turned out I couldn't avoid him as much as I wanted to.

I screamed as my body crashed with Andre's as I turned the corner. His fingertips gingerly held the top of my arms, attempting to calm me down. My heart continued to race, and out in my anxiety, I pasted a pretend smile on my face, trying to let Andre know that I didn't suspect anything and that I was perfectly fine.

He didn't believe me, though. He held on to my arms a little tighter, and I could see the worry deep in his eyes. "What's wrong, Eleanor? Are you feeling alright?"

I nodded a bit too quickly, and slightly tried to pull out of his grip. I wanted to avoid looking into his eyes. My father had also documented that vampires could compel someone into doing what they wanted, just by staring into their eyes. If this was true, and if Andre really was what I thought he was, it was safer for me to try to avoid touching him altogether.

Andre rubbed his hands up and down my arms. I gasped and struggled to once again pull out of his grip. "Eleanor, you're shaking. Are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded again, and pulled away, out of Andre's reach. "I'm fine. I must go."

I turned to leave, but felt Andre's long fingers wrap around my wrist. I gasped, his fingers were cold. My mind immediately thought about my father's notes, and I could feel a scream rise to my mouth. I opened my mouth, releasing the scream that was inside. In a matter of seconds, my body was held firmly against Andre's and his hand was around my mouth.

"What is going on, Eleanor? What is wrong with you?" Andre hissed.

I pushed and wriggled and tried to get out of Andre's extremely firm hold, but everything I tried failed. Tears started to well in my eyes and spill over my cheeks. Andre's grasp loosened, and I couldn't help but sob.

He removed his fingers from my mouth, and I could clearly see in his beautiful eyes that he was hurt.

"Eleanor, what is wrong with you? You know I would never hurt you."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I cried. I squirmed again, trying to break Andre's hold over me, but I was unsuccessful. I was scared out of my mind, and every sound I made tore a bigger and bigger hole in my heart. "Please!" I screamed.

"Eleanor? What is the meaning of this?"

I wriggled again. "Please, I know what you are! Don't hurt me, just don't. Please!"

I watched as Andre's eyes widened with shock, and I tried not to look at him. I could barely him as he whispered, "What?"

"I know what you are!" I cried, sobs bursting through my chest. "You're a...a...v-vampire."

"A what?" he hissed.

"A VAMPIRE!" I screamed, bursting into another round of sobs. "Just please, don't kill me. I don't want to die; I really don't want to die..." I babbled.

Andre let out a soft chuckle, but his eyes were still cautious. "I don't know what you're talking about, Eleanor. Who has been putting these strange ideas in your head?"

I ignored him and continued to talk. "I knew it. I knew there was something wrong with you and that Emily girl. She was telling the truth the entire time. She's a vampire as well, isn't she? She...she...she was telling the truth. And that's why I'm the threat to your existence. How many others are there? Do I know them? What am I going to do? I must stop talking. I have to tell someone. Please, let me go. I don't want to die."

Andre crushed me to him, and glared deep into my eyes. "Eleanor, you mustn't tell anyone. You must solemnly swear not to. Dangerous things can happen if people are aware of our existence."

I nodded, knowing that it was the best thing for me to do. It could save my life. "I promise Andre, oh how I do promise. Just please, don't kill me."

Andre sighed, and used one of his hands to stroke my cheek. "I promise, Eleanor. I would never allow anything or anyone to hurt you. I love you."

"NO!" I cried. "Please, don't say that. I can't bear it, not after everything that I have been through today. Please, just please. Don't say that."

Andre nodded. "I wish you had never discovered this, Eleanor. You were much safer beforehand when you knew nothing."

My eyes widened with fear. "Oh no. Please, Andre. Don't compel me. I don't want to be compelled. Please, please. Just please, Andre. I don't want this to happen. I won't tell anyone, I swear. Just please."

My hands grabbed at his, and I begged with all my heart for him to leave me uncompelled. Andre's eyes were full of hurt, and eventually he nodded. "Very well, my sweet. I promise."

"Please, let me go. I promise that I won't tell a soul. Just please, let me go."

With a heavy sigh, Andre slowly placed me on the ground, and released me from his arms. I didn't waste any time. I let out an incredibly loud scream and pushed myself as far away from his as I could, and ran as fast as I could down the hallways, trying to get as far away as possible from the one man that I ever truly loved.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

I slowed down as I grew closer and closer to my room. My breathing was still extremely fast, and coming out in short, uneven gasps. I could feel my heart racing in my throat, and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. Even though Andre assured that he would never harm me, I still had the slightest bit of doubt in me that said he wasn't always able to control himself.

I was in my room faster than I could blink. I leaned against the door, trying to concentrate on my breathing, and bring myself back to normal, but the image of Andre leaning in and ripping out my throat still haunted my mind.

Images of Alice's death started to fill my mind: her body, limp and lifeless on the ground, the blood leaking from the wound in her neck, the empty expression on her beautiful face. Somehow, it got me thinking of Andre.

My eyes widened with shock. Andre had drunk from her moments after we saw her. My heart started to race, and I was starting to hyperventilate again.

Andre had killed Alice. He really was a monster.

I couldn't be near him anymore. I would never know when he would attack. I had to stay away from him. As much as I yearned to be near him, I had to stay away. It was for my own safety, and my own good.

A wave of nausea fell over me, and I continued to hyperventilate. Tears formed in my eyes and spilled over my cheeks. I didn't want to believe it, but what choice did I have? All the evidence pointed towards Andre.

I couldn't be bothered to think about the subject any longer. I was exhausted from the day's events, and I just wanted to sleep. My body was aching, both mentally and physically, and I threw myself onto my bed, staying in the clothes that I had been in all day. I couldn't be bothered to change out of my clothes, and I just wanted to rest.

I sank my head into the dozens of fluffy, soft pillows that lay around me. It was an absolute luxury, and my body reacted immediately. I blew out the candles on my bedside tables, and pulled a blanket that my mother had made me around my exhausted body.

It wasn't very long before sleep came over me and pulled me into a dream.

I found myself lying on the beautiful lush green grass in the middle of an open field. I stared into a cloudless, clear blue sky. I sighed and giggled to myself, enjoying the feeling of sunlight on my skin.

"God, I love it when you laugh," said a familiar voice.

I gasped, and turned my head, seeing Andre lying next to me. He was shirtless, and draped an arm across my stomach. I looked down at myself, and found that I was wearing my undergarments. I wheezed again, and sat up immediately, forcing Andre's arm off my stomach. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. I was at the lake, the lake I had visited with Andre, the lake that we had found Alice's body near.

I scattered away from Andre, panting slightly and hugging my body to keep myself from falling into pieces.

Andre's eyes widened in shock, and he looked slightly hurt. His arm was slightly extended out towards me, and I scuttled back further.

I closed my eyes, squeezing them as tightly as I could. "This is just a dream. This is just a dream." I repeated it over and over, but every time I said it, I couldn't believe it.

I felt a light brushing against my hand, and it sent shivers through my skin, and the touch felt very, very real.

I opened my eyes and watched Andre running his long fingers over my hand. I gasped at his touch, but I didn't move away. I couldn't believe at how real his touch felt. His skin was warm, like normally, and the energy running through me felt exactly like it did every other time he touched me. I squeezed my eyes tighter and tighter and repeated "This is only a dream" over and over.

I heard Andre chuckle, and continued to stroke my hand. "Well, sort of."

My eyes opened, and I frowned, confused. "Excuse me?"

His mouth widened into a grin, and revealed his perfect teeth, which I realised could kill me in a second. "I have come to visit you in dream form. It's one of the few advantages of being a vampire."

I sucked in a breath, and gulped down a lump that was stuck in my throat. "So, I am talking to you right now, in real life, but it's also...a dream?"

Andre nodded, and I gasped again, hurrying to my feet. "I don't want to be near you. Please, please, leave me alone. I don't want to die."

Andre rose to his feet, and stepped slowly towards me, his arm reaching forward, reaching for me. "I promise, I would never hurt you, Eleanor. I just want to talk to you. I would never harm you, I swear."

"GO AWAY!" I screamed, desperately trying to get away. I started to sob. "Please, I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone. I promised that I would keep your secret. Just leave me alone."

Andre looked down at his feet, and I could sense that, once again, I had hurt him. He looked back at me and sighed. "Please, Eleanor. Just listen to what I have to say. I will answer all of your questions. If you still want nothing to do with me after that, I will leave you forever, and never return."

A sharp pain hit my heart. I didn't want to lose Andre. A part of me wanted him to stay away, because he was dangerous. But another part of me dominated the other, and wanted him to stay in my life, and protect me forever and ever, and love me forever and ever.

I sighed, thinking it over for a couple more seconds, even though my mind was already made up. I nodded, and swallowed back another lump in my throat. "Fine. But I want the whole truth, no lies. One lie, and I'll pull myself out of this dream, and I will _never _see you again."

I knew I was lying, and Andre could probably assume that I was, as well, but I wanted to make sure that what he was going to tell me was the whole truth.

Andre nodded, and pushed a strand of hair out of his face. "Of course. That sounds reasonable." He held one hand up, as if swearing an oath. "I promise. I shall tell the whole truth, and not one lie."

I took a long breath, steadying myself. I sat myself down on the grass, crossing my legs, and trying to sit as far away from Andre as possible. I needed to be thinking clearly during this interrogation, and I couldn't do it with Andre's delicious scent and fantastic physique being so close to me.

I sighed, and looked up to meet Andre's eyes.

"What on earth did you mean when you said this dream is sort of real?"

Andre smiled, revealing his perfect teeth. I absolutely loved how when he smiled, properly, you could see the twinkle in his eyes, and the tiny, adorable dimples in his cheeks. His whole face lit up when he grinned, and his attractiveness grew greater and greater. I shook my head, trying not to get distracted. I needed to be thinking openly.

"Well, Eleanor," he started. "You are asleep at this moment, and I knew that if I came around to your room to see you, you would refuse to speak to me. I had to reach you in another way. Even though you are asleep, and this is a dream, what I am saying to you now is real. If I touch you now, even though we are separated by many walls, and a mental barrier, you will still feel me, as if it was reality. I could kiss you right now, and you will still be breathless after it. Your knees will still buckle when I run my hands down your back."

Andre gave me a seductive smile, and began to inch his way closer to me. But I threw my hands up in front of me, and looked away, barricading myself from him. I wanted to prove that I could be strong, wanted to prove that I had self control, but it was a struggle, and he knew it. I wanted nothing more than to launch myself onto his body, and kiss him until the air was gone from my lungs. But I breathed, and reminded myself that I was a strong, confident young woman.

Andre smiled and nodded. "You're fighting me off?"

I frowned, and my heart weakened. "Believe me, I know that you know I don't want to, but I can't trust you yet. I need to have my head clear, and I need to concentrate to get the answers I want."

Again, Andre nodded. "I understand, sweetheart. Continue."

I bobbed my head once, and folded my hands in my lap.

"How long have you been...like this? A vampire?"

Andre answered without the slightest hesitation. "Since 1692."

My eyes widened, and I couldn't help but gasp. "So long?"

I watched him nod, and hang his head. "I have been terribly lonely for so many decades. Sure, I've been able to be around people of my own kind, but I long for human contact, to have some sort of my humanity with me."

My hand rested against my chest. It was so sad. He was lonely, and he longed to be human. I thought that it was heartbreaking.

"How were you turned?"

He kept his eyes on his hands, refusing to look at me. "I was seventeen at the time. It was in Marseilles, France. I had not ling been engaged to a young woman called Jacqueline Louis. She was the daughter of a friend of my father's, another wealthy family. I was fortunate to be brought up in a wealthy family, a very uncommon occurrence for people of that era."

"You were seventeen when you became engaged?" I gasped.

Andre nodded, still refusing to look at me. "She had been promised to me when I was nine years old. In those times, you were considered an adult at the age of sixteen, sometimes even younger, and that was due to the short life expectancy rate. These days, you can marry when you're twenty, but back then, the sooner, the better.

"Jacqueline did not like me, as I did not like her, but my father was a greedy man, and would do anything to make easy money.

"The moment Jacqueline turned sixteen, we became engaged. We refused to see each other, and agreed to see other people behind our parent's backs.

"My family owned a farm not too far from the city. I would visit it sometimes, only so that I could meet with Lillian, a young girl who looked after out cows and goats. She was so kind, and so beautiful, unlike my wife-to-be. Lillian and I would meet in the barns; spend our days together, making love and enjoying our time. We both knew that it wouldn't be long before it would become near impossible for us to sneak around.

"But little did I know, she was seeing some behind my back. I walked in on her and one of the young men who looked after the pigs, and took care of the hard labour. I refused to see her after that."

"Did you love her?" I asked, my voice coming out in nothing more than a harsh whisper.

Andre hesitated at first, biting the inside of his cheek and fumbling with his fingers. For a graceful creature, he was very unsettled. After a few moments, Andre's head slowly bobbed back and forth. "Yes, I did. I was very hurt when I saw her betraying me like that. I was incredibly angry, and I wanted to kill the man I had seen her with. He wasn't even a man!" he laughed. "He was a boy! He was Lillian's toy, and he didn't even know it. She was messing with his feelings, and taking advantage of that young man's heart."

"You didn't kill him, did you?" I asked.

Andre's eyes and mouth both opened in astonishment. "Of course not! I can admit that I hated him enough to want to kill him, but no! I could never do that! I never laid a hand on him! I told him to get out of the barn, and I screamed at Lillian for betraying me. I told her how I had put all of my faith and trust in her, and I screamed how I loved her.

"My heart tore in agony when her piercing laugh rang in my ears. She told me that I was a fool, that she had never loved me, that all her feelings were faked so she could make a quick penny and hope that I would marry her one day, so that she could live a wealthy lifestyle, and take all of my family's money. Every word was a blow to my heart, and the smirk on her face told me that she was enjoying telling me every single word of it.

"I wanted to kill her. I wanted to strangle her. No one made a fool of Andre Richards and got away with it. But I did nothing. I was too numb. I turned my back on her, and walked out, never to see her again. That was when..."

I nodded, motioning for him to finish his story. "When?"

He sighed. "That was when I met Joseph."


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

I frowned. "Joseph?"

"He was the man you caught me speaking to in French. The day you were following me?"

My cheeks flushed, and I felt the blood spread in my face. I didn't think he could see me. I didn't know that he had noticed me listening and following his every footstep with caution. It made sense now. I saw Andre flash a hint of a smile, but he covered it quickly.

"Joseph found me that night. After my "discussion" with Lillian, I wandered the streets, looking for booze and a cheap woman to get me out of my misery. I had found many women that night, and I was wandering through the bars and pubs of Marseilles, and I decided to take one back to a nearby abandoned hut I had found in the slums.

"I was halfway to the hut when my lady and I stumbled in front of Joseph. We were both ridiculously drunk, so we were irritated when he blocked our path to a good time.

"But he was so beautiful, standing there in the moonlight. His pale skin looked milky and beautiful in the dull light of the moon, and I could feel myself become drawn to him. My lady felt it as well, and her eyes stayed on Joseph the entire time we were there.

"'What are two fine people, such as yourselves, doing out here on such a cool winters night?' he asked. His voice was absolutely beautiful, and drew me in further.

'"That is none of your business, sir. Now please, let us pass.' I demanded. But I was nothing to him. He continued to stand, with a mocking smirk on his face.

"'It's awfully dangerous to be out here at this time of night' Joseph said. I rolled my eyes and snorted.

"'I can protect the lady, sir.'

"Joseph snorted. 'You wouldn't be able to. You're too weak. And too drunk. Looks like someone can't hold their liquor.'

"'How dare you insult me! Do you know who I am?' I screamed.

I giggled. "You weren't full of yourself at all, Andre Richards."

Andre narrowed his eyes, and I immediately stopped laughing. "I was a different person then, Eleanor. Anyway, Joseph laughed in my face.

'"I know who you are, Andre Richards,' he said. 'You're due to marry Ms Jacqueline Louis, I believe. A beautiful young woman, who is trustworthy and fertile. Yet, here you are.'

"I frowned, and prepared to attack. This man had insulted me for no good reason. I assumed he didn't know a thing about me, but it turned out, he knew nearly all my secrets. I didn't know what else to do.

"I remember lunging forward, my vision blurred by alcohol. Before I could blink, I had been pushed back with an incredible force, and I remember screaming as my head hit the pavement. I heard another scream, not my own, and watched as the young man held the young woman I had just met in his arms. Blood poured from a wound in her neck, and I could see through my blurred vision, what looked like the man drinking her blood. I wanted to yell, but no sound would come to my mouth. After a few seconds, I could see the body of the woman lying limp and lifeless on the ground.

"I could feel myself being dragged away from the scene. I was terrified. I wanted nothing more than to be free and run away. But I found myself weak, and lying in Joseph's arms. He stroked my head, and whispered that I had great potential. I was confused, and wanted to get away, but I was paralysed. The next thing I remember, was Joseph drinking from my neck, and I could feel myself being pulled further and further away from life, and closer and closer to death.

"I woke many nights later, in an incredibly dark room. My senses were keener, and I could hear and smell things that I knew I wouldn't have noticed before. Joseph came into the room and explained that he had turned me into a creature of the night. I panicked, and tried everything I could do to end my life. I was supposed to be married in a few days. Joseph claimed that he had "saved" me from a life of uncertainty and despair. He said that I could be in control now, and would be able to do whatever I wanted. No one would tell me what to do, I would never get married, and I could sleep with whoever I wanted. He offered me the perfect life."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well, being young, irresponsible and greedy, I agreed."

Andre hung his head. I could tell he wasn't happy.

"But it wasn't a life I was happy to live. It was great at first. I could get blood whenever I wanted, and I slept with any woman I could get my hands on. Joseph taught me how to compel and get what I wanted. It was exactly as he described it: perfect."

"But?" I asked.

"But I started to think about my family, about Jacqueline, about the disappointment I must've caused when I didn't show up for the wedding however many years ago it was. I wanted to see my family, and even though I despised many of the members in my family, I still missed them, and I desperately wanted to see them. But Joseph told me that it wasn't possible anymore, that I had to forget that they ever existed and moved on. It was easier said than done. They had been told that I had run away in fear of marriage, and I knew that they had already forgotten about me."

My heart started to break, and I wanted to wrap my arms around him, and tell him that everything was going to be fine, that I was here, and that I would never let him hurt himself in any way.

"I was also constantly focused on getting my next feed. There were only two things on my mind: my lust for blood, and my lust for sex. I was unable to control myself. I killed too many people, thinking I was far more superior than everyone else, than a human life.

"I began to think of what I would've been like if I was still human. I would've married Jacqueline, have children, and die old, hoping that I was able to give everything my children asked for. Maybe Lillian and I would've still been together. And who knows? Maybe I would've married her? I just wasn't sure."

Many moments of silence passed between us, and I didn't know whether to speak, or keep quiet.

"What happened to Lillian?" I asked.

Andre laughed, without the slightest trace of humour, then sighed. "Well, Jacqueline got married to the guy she was seeing whilst seeing me. She became pregnant weeks after I turned, unaware if the child was mine or her new husband's. She claimed that it was his, but we both knew it belonged to me. She kept that secret until the day she died, telling our son that her real father was someone she was having an affair with, and that he had suddenly disappeared the day before he was due to marry another woman.

"My son and his wife had a son, and he was my grand-son. When he was old enough, his wife gave birth to a baby girl. When she was married, she had a baby girl as well. Her name is Lilith."

"Is?" I asked.

"She's alive today," he said, as his eyes turned into a mischievous smirk. "The woman that I told you was my grandmother, is actually my great-great-granddaughter."

I gasped, my eyes wide. "That is...very odd."

Andre chuckled. "I know. Imagine how awkward it is for me. I'm glad she didn't have any children. I don't need to look after anyone else."

"Does your great-great–does Lilith know what you are?"

Andre nodded. "And she understands. She was shocked at first, and refused to see me. But when her son died, she realised that I was the only family that she had left, and accepted me into her life."

I smiled. "That was lovely of her."

Andre smiled slightly, and picked some grass out of the ground, and threw back into the dirt. "do you have any other questions?"

I nodded. "Do you still drink blood?"

Andre nodded with me. "It's the only way I can survive, Eleanor. But you can relax, I only drink animal blood."

"Did you kill Alice?"

Andre's eyes widened with astonishment. "Of course not! She was my friend! And I'm not a killer! Not now at least."

"But you drank her blood."

There was a few moments of silence before he answered. "I had not eaten in days, Eleanor. I couldn't control myself. I only had a little to restore my energy, I swear. I went hunting that night, I promise. I haven't killed a human in a long time, Eleanor, I promise you that."

I sighed. I wanted to believe him, I really did. I just wasn't sure if I could.

I blinked, and suddenly found myself staring directly into Andre's eyes, our noses almost touching. I screamed, and crawled back, startled by the sudden movement.

"Don't do that!" I yelled.

Andre held his hands up, apologising.

I continued to pant, and clutched at my chest. "I still have more to ask you."

Andre nodded, and sat back.

I gulped back some saliva and breathed. "How can you walk in the sunlight? I thought that vampires were meant to burn."

Andre grinned, with irritated me. "Well, we do. But I have this." He lifted an elegant hand, and showed me a pure gold ring that sat on his ring finger. "It's a ring. It's charmed so that I am able to walk in the sunlight and no one will suspect a thing."

I nodded. "Is that why you were desperate to find that necklace before, and why you didn't want me to open the curtains? Was the necklace charmed?"

"Yes. Someone stole it whilst I was asleep. At first, I suspected Emily, but I now I don't know. Maybe one of the little children around here took it. And yes, that was why you couldn't open the curtains. If you had, well, I would've been nothing more than ash by the time you turned around."

A few moments of silence passed between us before Andre asked "Any more questions?"

I looked down at my hands, unsure whether to ask my next question, or keep it to myself. It seemed ridiculous, and I didn't want to be laughed at.

"Are you still able to feel, to have feelings?"

Andre chuckled, but not as if he was making fun of me. As if he was in pain. "Oh, I am still able to feel, believe me."

"Tell me what you're thinking. I want to know how you feel," I whispered.

Andre pushed himself slightly closer to me. I flinched at first, but I didn't move away. His eyes lingered over my mouth, and my heart had already started to race. "Right now, I am thinking about kissing you." He continued getting closer, and with every word, he got nearer and nearer to me. "I'm thinking about what it would be like to feel your skin against mine. I'm wondering about what it would be like to hear you moan against me."

My heart was pounding, blood rushed in my ears, and my head started to spin. "Andre, I can't do that. I'm a respectable girl. I suppose it was my fault for asking, but..."

My voice trailed off as Andre leaned forward, his face so close to mine. I could feel his lips brush against mine as he spoke. "But this is just a dream. This isn't happening in reality."

I groaned wit uncertainty, and tried to avoid looking into his eyes. "Andre, I don't know. It's going to feel real, and that's how I'm going to think of it for the rest of my life. I've never don e this before."

But Andre didn't listen, and I gasped as hand cupped my breast. My breathing had completely stopped, and the grin on Andre's face grew bigger and bigger.

I tried to swallow deep breaths as Andre's hand lingered over my breast, then slowly down my skin, tracing over my ribcage and down my stomach. He pressed his lips softly against my neck, and brought his hand on my thigh, pushing my skirts over my legs. I heard myself moan, and I pulled and pushed Andre and I closer together, wanting to feel all of him against me. I forced my lips against Andre's, crushing them under mine. His hands rested on my bare hips, slowly kneading his hands into them. He wasn't hurting me, in fact, I quite enjoyed it.

I moved my lips hungrily across his cheek, over his jaw and down his neck, pushing him against me as I did. I could hear a moan escape his lips, and I continued running my hands over his body. I greedily kissed his neck again, over and over, then nipped his shoulder lightly with my teeth.

I heard Andre gasp, then growl, and he pushed me away immediately. I frowned, confused and hurt, wanting an explanation, but I understood when I saw.

I gasped and pulled away.

Andre's fangs had extended.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

I screamed, and scrambled away from Andre, heart racing and blood pumping. I watched as Andre reached toward me, but I pulled away.

"Eleanor–" he yelled.

But I was sucked back into reality.

I sat up in my bed, gasping and clutching at my throat. I sucked in some short breaths, trying to calm myself down. Maybe I couldn't handle being around Andre. Maybe he was worse than what I thought.

I knew I had hurt Andre when I pulled out of the dream, and I could tell that it would take a while for him to forgive me. He wanted to me to trust him. He trusted me enough to tell me his secrets. I felt like I had betrayed him.

I sighed, brushing my hair from my face, and stoking the tears off my cheeks. I wanted to run to Andre and explain that I wasn't scared of him, and that I was still adjusting to the facts I had only recently discovered.

I shook my head, and sunk back further into the pillows. I had made my decision. I would go to sleep, and figure everything out in the morning.

I was half hoping that Andre would come and visit me in my dream again, but I knew it wouldn't happen.

I closed my eyes, and slowly fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

I woke the next morning, slightly stiff and sore from the run-around the day before.

A sudden feeling came over me. It was a yearning to see Andre. I wanted to apologise for pulling away last night, and I just wanted forgiveness.

Looking down at myself, I saw that I was still dressed in the hospital gown that I had stolen. Sliding off the bed, I tiptoed over to where I kept my dresses, and unfolded a pale blue dress that was suitable for the warm weather. It was thin, but still elegant enough to wear.

In ten minutes, I was dressed and ready for the day. A clock beside my bed told me that it was ten o'clock.

I wanted to find Andre. I wanted to hear him and his voice. I shook my head. I didn't know what had come over me. I had never woken up wanting him this badly before.

A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts.

"Andre," I gasped, and ran to the door. Maybe he had forgiven me. Maybe he was checking to see if I was alright, and if I had recovered from the day before.

My face and heart both fell when I saw it was only my brother.

"Oh thank God!" he cursed, and I choked as he wrapped his arms firmly around me.

"Dimitri, what is wrong?" I wheezed. His weight was crushing against my ribs, and my body screamed in agony.

"Dimitri! You're hurting me!" I hissed. I struggled in his grip, but managed to pull back and glare at him. "What is going on?"

"What on earth were you thinking, running from the hospital like that? Do you know how worried I was about you?" he yelled.

"I was feeling perfectly fine! And the stupid nurse wouldn't let me leave!"

"There's a reason she's a nurse, Eleanor. She knows what's good for you! It was incredibly stupid of you to run off like that! I came to visit you this morning! They told me that you were gone, and then I heard from Anna-Maria Dexter this morning that they found another body–"

"What?" I hissed. "Someone else was killed?"

"Yes! And I was praying that it wasn't you! Can you see now why I was so worried about you?"

I nodded, and leaped into his arms. "I am so sorry, Dim. I didn't mean to." I pulled back and looked into his eyes, stroking his hair off his face. "Do they know who it is yet?"

Dimitri shook his head and raised his hand to stroke his chin. "No one has told us anything so far. We only know that it is a young woman. Sebastian Patricks found the body. He's pretty shaken up, and he has barely said a word to anyone."

I nodded. Poor Sebastian. I may not like him, and I may think that he is a self-involved pig, but no one deserved to go through what he was going through.

I sighed and shook my head. "I feel incredibly sorry for his family right now. He is an incredibly rude child, and I really don't like him, but no one should have to go through that."

Dimitri leaned forward, and pulled me into another sibling embrace. "I'm just glad that it's not you. Eleanor, you got me so worried. Please, please, don't ever do that to me again."

I nodded, and pressed my face into his chest. "I promise, Dim. Never again."

There was another knock on my door, and I turned to see my mother standing there, in her usual black dress. She stood tall and straight, as she always did, but there was something wrong, something...different. It wasn't her body, or the way she held herself. It wasn't her hair, or her clothes either. It took me a while, but I finally worked it out.

Her face was full of worry and concern, and it was ageing her incredibly. She wasn't full of the liveliness that she always had, or the poise and elegance that she carried. She was worried, and upset, and now she looked her true age.

Dimitri pulled away, and turned around, holding me firmly around the waist.

"Hello, Mother," he addressed politely.

My mother nodded twice, once to each of us. "Dimitri, Eleanor."

I returned her nod. "Mother."

A tear spilled over her cheek, even though she was trying her hardest to keep it in her.

"Mother?" I asked.

She broke into an endless stream of sobs, and ran over to Dimitri and I, pulling us both into her amrs. She sobbed and sobbed, and Dimitri's arms tightened around both of us. I wanted to stay mad at my mother, but I just didn't have it in me. Honestly, I was glad to see her. I didn't want to be separated any further.

"Oh my darling children," she cried. "I am so sorry for anything I have done. Ever since you're father died, I have simply become the worst mother that there has ever been. No wonder everyone pitied you children and not me. They were sorry that you had a mother like me."

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to yell at her, and scream that they were right, that she never treated either of us the way she had. But another part of me wanted to sympathise, and hold her and tell her that it wasn't true, but I knew that it was exactly what she wanted.

Luckily, Dimitri answered for me.

"Mother, you shouldn't worry about what others think. For once, think about yourself, and not your reputation. Right now, we need to stay together as a family, especially in a time like this."

I nodded, agreeing with every word that he was saying, and I could see that my mother agreed as well.

My mother turned, and looked into my eyes, her hand gently and gracefully holding my chin. "I was so worried about you, Eleanor. When Elizabeth Stone told me that young Sebastian Patricks had found another body this morning, my first thought was "Are my children safe? Where are they?" You may not think I love you, Eleanor, but I love you a lot more than you'll ever know. It's too hard to put my love into words."

I smiled, tears forming in my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Mother. I shouldn't have gotten as worked up as I did. I was angry, and that anger had built inside of me over the past few years. I apologise, Mother."

She nodded, and brought me back into her arms. "Oh, Eleanor. I was so relieved when they told me it wasn't you."

"How would you know?" I asked.

"Yes, Mother? Last I heard, not one person knew a thing."

"Well, say one word to Marcia Parker, and I can guarantee that in ten more minutes, everyone will know what's happened. She told me that Sebastian spoke to her not long after he found her."

I frowned, and folded my arms. "Who is it, Mother? Do we know her?"

My mother scoffed, and rolled her eyes. "Of course you would. She was exactly like Alice Finnegan. Slightly less attractive, but her attitudes and her sleeping patterns were exactly the same, if you understand what I'm saying."

I nodded, and closed my eyes, slightly annoyed. "Yes, Mother. I understand. Who was it?"

"Emma Williams."

My eyes widened. It was the girl that Dimitri had been sleeping with. My mouth opened in shock, and I slowly turned my head to Dimitri. He looked like he was going to burst into tears. His dark brown eyes were wide with shock, and his lips were pressed in a thin line.

Mother didn't understand what was going on between us. She was completely unaware that Dimitri had been sleeping with Emma Williams ever since he returned two months ago.

But my mother worked it out rather quickly. Her eyes widened, along with the rest of us, and she place a comforting hand on Dimitri's arm.

"I'm so sorry, my darling. I had no idea. I should have been more discreet."

Dimitri didn't reply. He just stood there, completely mindless.

"I want to see her," he said.

Mother and I looked at each and shook our heads. "Sweetheart," my mother whispered. "I don't think that is such a good idea right now. They're still tying up the investigation, and there are people everywhere. People want to spread gossip, and the minute you turn up, they definitely will-"

"I don't care!" Dimitri snapped, shutting Mother up completely. "I was in love with her, and for once, I would like for you to think about something else besides your fucking reputation!"

Mother stepped back, completely wild with amazement, disappointment and shock.

"Dimitri," I hissed under my breath.

"Shut up, Eleanor! Just...shut the hell up."

I nodded, pressing my lips together. I glanced at Mother. She looked like she was dying. She couldn't believe that her own son had spoken to her like that.

I placed my hand gingerly on Dimitri's back, and was a little surprised and glad that he didn't shake it off. "Maybe we should go down there, just to see her one last time."

Mother nodded, and so did Dimitri.

Sliding my hand into his, and pulling my arm through my mother's, I lead them downstairs to the garden, where Emma's dead body lay. In a way, I was glad that this death had happened. It had brought my family back together again.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Chapter Twenty-One**

People lined the halls and the corridors, everyone trying to get a glimpse of the crime scene, or even better, Emma's dead body.

Even thought Dimitri held his head up high, I could tell that he was dying inside. He wanted nothing more than to burst through that crowd, wrap his arms around Emma, and pray that all these rumours weren't true, that she wasn't the one who was murdered. I knew that he was hoping this was just a dream, and that Emma was lying on his bed right now, waiting for him to burst through the door and ravish her.

But he knew that it would never happen again. He would never get the chance to see her uneven skin tone ever again.

I scolded myself for being so shallow. Sure, Emma wasn't very friendly or patient when she was around me, but criticising someone who has passed away was not the right thing to do, and I knew that God was judging me, watching me judging others.

I frowned at myself, and continued to walk.

I watched as people whispered as we walked by. "There he is." "Heard he and Emma were _very close_, if you understand what I'm saying." "I bet he killed her. Found out she was sleeping round with everyone else, and killed her." "Or maybe he was the one who was doing the sleeping around. Fine looking boy like that, I wouldn't have minded having a go with him."

I looked at Dimitri. I knew he could hear what they were saying, he was just doing his very best to ignore them. I smiled. I was proud of him.

My mother's eyes darted to and fro, looking for any sign of judgement towards her family.

People barricaded the crime scene, making sure that no one could get through. They were the young men that I had seen at the ball. One of them looked familiar. It was Thomas. He gave me a small smile, and a slight nod of his head.

I smiled back, and continued walking with my family. Dimitri was firm and stiff, not showing any emotion on his face. People continued to whisper and stare, but he was doing his best to ignore them.

My mother waltzed away, attempting to look as graceful and elegant as possible in these hard times.

My eyes turned to a dark figure in the corner of the room. It was tall, and muscular, with beautifully strong and broad shoulders. My heart ached at the thought of it being Andre, and I was right.

He stepped out of the shadows, and I could feel my spirits rise. His eyes lazily wondered over to me, and I smiled, excitement and hope incredibly clear in my eyes. But he didn't smile back. He stood there, staring, no emotion in his face, or his beautiful dark eyes.

Disappointment came over me, and my grip slowly eased off Dimitri.

So I was right. Andre was annoyed with me. He truly did not want to see me again. I had betrayed him. He had trusted me with all his heart, he had confided in me, wanted me to understand why he was the way he was. I knew why he did not love me like he used to. I had forced him not to trust me further.

A tear came to my eye at the thought, but I sniffed it back. I would not let him see me cry, especially not in this situation. It wasn't about me; I didn't need to be the centre of attention at this time.

I couldn't see Sebastian anywhere. Maybe the doctors were questioning him. I prayed that he would be alright. In a way, I wanted to be sitting with him. I had a yearning to see him, and I could feel it ache in my bones.

I shook my head, and massaged my temples, trying to relieve the headache I was getting. What was going on? Where did that come from? I had never felt like that about him before, why now?

I suddenly felt very lethargic, and I just wanted to lie down. My head was pounding, and I just wanted to be alone.

I watched as Dr. Gelberta strolled over and shook Dimitri's hand. Dimitri still hadn't said a single word, and I could see the cold expression in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Dimitri," Dr. Gelberta said. He was a man of very few words, and was incredibly blunt when he spoke.

Dimitri nodded and shook Dr. Gelberta's hand. "Thank you, doctor. I can't believe it. The second death in two weeks. What is going on?"

The doctor shrugged. "I don't know. There's only so much I can tell you, Dimitri, until I notify the family. I have to respect their wishes."

Dim sniffled, and wiped a tear away from his face. "I understand. Please, let me know as soon as possible, please, Brett?"

Dr. Gelberta nodded, and patted Dim on the shoulder, before turning back to the crime scene.

Dimitri kissed my cheek, and walked over to Mother, trying to seek out more information from whoever he could.

He left me standing there alone, amongst the large group of people that I didn't know. My eyes flashed back to where Andre was standing before, but he was gone. My eyes widened, and my heart weakened. I wanted to see him. I wanted to apologise. I didn't care if he never wanted to see me again. I just wanted to hear his voice.

I sighed, and turned away from the scene. I didn't think I could stand it anymore. People stared as I walked away from the corridor. As I wondered away, more and more people gathered around, trying to get a glimpse at the dead body, or the crime scene.

I was disgusted with people. They didn't have any respect for a deceased person. They just wanted to get the gossip, and be the first one to spread it around.

I was alone in the corridor. Most people were at the scene.

I could feel something coming over me, as if someone was waiting around a corner, watching me. I turned around, taking in my surroundings, searching for anyone that might confirm my suspicions. When I saw no one, I turned back around and continued walking.

That was when I heard the footsteps. They were soft at first, and slow, as if they were pacing themselves. My head darted back behind me, but there was no one there.

A sick feeling rose in my stomach. The last time I had heard these noises, I was attacked and severely wounded by Emily. I had discovered that she was a vampire, and that she was trying to stop Andre from falling in love with me.

My heart started to race. What was I going to do? She couldn't be back, could she? Andre had promised me that she was gone, and that she wasn't going to come near me any time soon. What if he was wrong? What if he was just protecting her?

I was so confused. If I ran, whoever it was would surely be after me in an instant, and would have me captured immediately after that.

I quickened my pace, trying to shake off whoever was after me, but I knew it was no use.

Before I could blink, I found myself pressed up against the wall, my arms behind my back, and my face was pressed against the stone. I tried to move, tried to escape, but every attempt failed.

My heart was racing so fast, I wasn't even going to try to get it under control.

I could feel someone pressed against me, pushing me further and further into the wall. I groaned in pain, and wiggled around, but nothing worked. I still remained captured.

"I trusted you," a voice hissed in my ear. "How could you betray me like that?"

Even though I couldn't turn around to see who my attacker was, I knew it was Andre. Only he would say that to me, and I could recognise his voice anywhere.

He smelled different, though. Instead of his usual sweet, fragrance, he smelled dirty, like rust and dirt. It wasn't all bad, but it was unusual, compared to his normal delicious scent.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Andre. Really, I am. Yo-you don't know how terrible I felt when I pulled out of the dream last night-"

"DON'T SAY IT!" he hissed in my ear, pushing hard against me. My chest started to hurt, and I wanted nothing more than to just leave right now, and forget ever meeting Andre.

I whimpered, and started to sob.

"You have no idea how badly I loved you, Eleanor. You don't know how badly I wanted to feel your body against me. You hurt me, Eleanor. I can't believe you would do that to me."

"All I can say is sorry, Andre. Really I am."

Andre chuckled wickedly in my ear. I was so scared. I had never seen this side of him before, but then again, I had never gotten him this angry before either. I felt his cool hand rest on my neck, right near my beating pulse. He pressed his face into my neck, and I could hear him breathe in.

"Your heart is beating so fast, my sweet. Just thinking of all that blood rushing through your veins excites me."

I felt something wet run along my collarbone and back up my neck. I shivered, realising it was his tongue.

He planted harsh, passionless kisses all over my neck, and under my jaw.

"You don't know how badly I want you, Eleanor."

I was starting to worry. I couldn't see him, but he was starting to scare me, and I could tell from the tone in his voice that he was enjoying frightening me like this.

"If you ever tell anyone anything, about what I am, about what I can do, and especially what I've just done now, I will kill you," he hissed, and I could feel him leaning in closer and whisper: "and next time I won't hesitate."

My eyes widened. There was a last time?

I felt the pressure against me release, and I felt myself breathing again. My eyes darted around, searching for any evidence that Andre was here, but there was none.

I was alone in the corridor, once again.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

_**Sorry for the no updates. :) I am trying to post as much as I can now, because this year is a major year for me, school wise. So I might not be able to post a lot. **_

_**But i will try. :)**_

_**Happy reading.**_

_**TSO123. x**_

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

I collapsed onto the ground, tears forming in my eyes, and my breath coming out in short, frightened gasps. I wanted to go back to my room, and curl up into a ball and disappear into nothing.

I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to muffle the sound of my sobbing.

I could hear my teeth chattering, and my whole body shook with fear. I didn't know what to think, I was too frightened to.

I couldn't understand what had just happened. It was too hard for me to comprehend. Andre had never acted that way to me before. I had never seen him that angry with me before, and it wasn't as if I had told anyone what had happened. I couldn't believe that he was so upset with me. How did he expect me to react, especially what I had been through recently. It was still new and recent to me, and I was still adjusting to the whole idea that he was not part of the human species, and that if he wanted to, he could have me dead in an instant.

I closed my eyes, and rested my head against the wall. I didn't know what to think.

"Eleanor?" I heard someone whisper.

I opened my eyes and screamed at the top of my lungs.

Sebastian took a few steps back, startled, then he rushed forward and kneeled in front of me, his hand slightly resting on my cheek. I flinched at first, trying to recover. I sobbed as he came closer to me, frightened out of my mind.

"It's all right, Eleanor. I'm here," he cooed as he stroked my face gently.

I was sort of glad that Sebastian was here. I didn't want to be alone at the moment, and though he wasn't the first person I would choose to spend my time with, but he was all I had at the moment, I was just glad to have him here.

After a little while, I had calmed down, but Sebastian continued to stay with me. Embarrassed, I quickly brushed the tears from my face, and sniffled very inelegantly. "I am so sorry, Sebastian. I don't usually do this."

A small smile played at the edge of his lips. "I know. You're very adorable when you show your emotional side. You should do it more often."

I couldn't help but laugh. It was all I could do in a situation like this. Trust Sebastian to lighten the mood.

"I heard you were the one to find Emma's body."

The smile dropped from his face, and his eyes turned sad. "Yes. I was."

I shook my head. "I am so sorry, Sebastian. It must've been horrible."

He nodded. "It was. I hope I never have to go through that again. The look on her face...it was just horrible. No one should have to go through that sort of pain."

I nodded. "I agree."

Sebastian looked down, avoiding my eyes. "The doctor believes she may have been..." he paused. "Raped."

I gasped, my eyes wide. That was the foulest thing that anyone could ever to do another human being. It made me sick to my stomach, that someone was so disgusting to do such a thing to her. It made me angry.

"Alice was killed a similar way to Emma, so they're thinking that she could've been...touched...as well."

I shook my head. It was absolutely horrible. "I cannot believe it. Dimitri is going to be absolutely devastated when he finds out."

Sebastian looked at me now. "Ellie, they think that Dimitri might have done it."

"What?" I screamed. It wasn't possible. How could anyone think such a thing? "No way! Everyone knows Dimitri! He could never do anything like that!"

"Well, Eleanor, he was having a relationship with Emma. They need to check him first. They always suspect the husbands and partners first. It's procedure. I'm sure it wasn't him, but until they clear his name, he is a suspect."

I could hear myself growl, which was definitely not lady-like. "How can they do this? It's not right! My brother is not a killer!"

I found myself bursting into tears again. Short, quick sobs escaped my chest, and I cried into my hands. Why were they doing this to me, to my family? Dimitri was definitely not a killer. He may have been ignorant, and childish, selfish, and completely ridiculous at times, but he was not a killer. I knew that for a fact. He left the navy because he refused to end a human life if he had to.

Sebastian brushed my hair off my face, and smile sympathetically.

I took a deep breath, and blinked back as many tears as I could. "You should go. I'll be fine. I am so sorry. I shouldn't be doing this to you. You have enough complications of your own. You don't need mine as well."

Sebastian just smiled and shook his head. "It's no problem, believe me, Eleanor. I am perfectly fine. I have seen many worse things in my life, believe me. I'll do whatever I can to help you, Ellie. You know that. You mean too much to me. I never want to see anything happen to you."

I smiled, and started to sob again. I heard Sebastian laugh again, and he brought me into his arms. "Eleanor, you amaze me sometimes."

I laughed and rested my cheek against his chest. He wasn't the person I wanted holding me at that very moment, but he was going to have to do.

I felt his fingers trail to my chin, and pulled my head up to meet his. His eyes lingered over my mouth, and then back to my eyes. I had never noticed what beautiful eyes he had before. They were absolutely gorgeous. A beautiful emerald green, stunning and hypnotising at the same time.

A powerful urge came over me. I wanted to feel his body against mine. I wanted to know what it was like to feel the warmth of his lips against mine, and I wanted to rid my mind of Andre forever and ever.

I looked away from Sebastian and shook my head, confused. My head swam, and I felt as if my brain had swollen to twice its size. My eyes were stinging, and I found it hard to find a firm grasp on reality.

"Woah," I breathed. My eyes found themselves staring back into Sebastian's. His eyes were shining, and there was a small smile on his face. I was completely shocked when he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against mine, in a small, but passionate motion.

A wave of lust fell over me, and I found myself wanting to be closer and closer to Sebastian. I found myself deepening our kiss, and I ran my hand over his chest and knotted it in his hair.

What was I doing? What was coming over me? Why was I doing this? This was Sebastian, after all. Never in my entire life had I felt some sort of attraction to him.

But yet, at this moment, he felt like my whole world. He was the only one that I wanted. He was the only one that was good for me. He was going to take care of me, I could feel it in my bones. He was going to love me, and I love him.

Sebastian's hands over my chest brought me back to reality. My eyes widened in shock. Did I just think that? What was wrong with me? What was happening?

I felt nothing for Sebastian, I knew it deep in my heart. Then why was I letting him touch me in the middle of an empty corridor, and where was Andre?

Guilt rose in my heart, and I suddenly found myself wanting to be back in Andre's arms. Sebastian was suddenly repulsive, and I wanted to go home.

Politely, I pushed myself out of his arms, smiling apologetically.

"Many apologies, Sebastian. I have absolutely no idea what happened just then."

Sebastian chuckled, and leaned forward again. "You were expressing your feelings for me. After all this time, you finally admit that you feel the same for me."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Sebastian. But that's not true, and we both know it. You know that I am with Andre."

Sebastian's green eyes turned cold as he narrowed them. "I see the way he treats you, Eleanor. You're like an object to him. He doesn't care about you. He won't take care of you. He just wants to use you. How can you not see that?"

I frowned. "That is not true, Sebastian. I thought your mother would've brought you up to be more polite than that. Talking like that about others is not an attractive trait."

I stood up, pushing Sebastian away from me, and he immediately followed.

"Eleanor, you're being stupid. How can you believe that you and he have a future? He's a vampire, for Christ's Sakes!"

I stood frozen in the middle of the corridor. My eyes widened, and I could feel my heart stop. "How do you know that?"

"Because," Sebastian said. "I have been told about the legends. Your father, he was researching about them, was he not? He planned to end their race. He told me about them, in confidence, begging me not to tell anyone. He planned to venture out into the world and kill them. Every. Last. One."

I gasped. "He told you about the vampires?"

Sebastian nodded. "Yes. And they cannot be trusted. Please, Eleanor. He will kill you."

"He promised me. He promised me he would never hurt him. I trust him, Sebastian. I love him."

Sebastian let out a huge growl. "Eleanor! How can you be so stupid? He is a vampire! He has had many decades to practise his deception. Who knows how many lies he has told you!"

A small bit of uncertainty rose in me, and I started to think twice about trusting Andre. But I shook my head. I couldn't listen to this anymore. I refused to listen to lies about my beloved. Especially coming from an amateur like Sebastian.

"I don't care, Sebastian. I love him. He promised me he would never hurt me, and I believe him."

"Eleanor, you're a fool! Why won't you listen to me? I love you, so much."

"No you don't!" I screamed. "And if you did, you and I both know that we don't have a future. My future is with Andre."

I slowly turned my back on him, and hurried down the corridor, trying to get away as fast as I could. I didn't want to see him, didn't think that I could see him. He was making me too angry to be able to think straight. My head ached, and my throat hurt from crying.

I turned my head quickly to see if Sebastian was following me, but I was completely shocked when I saw that he was gone. The corridor behind me was absolutely bare. Confused, I turned my head back around and screamed.

Sebastian was standing right in front of me, his lips pulled into an evil smirk, and his fangs extended.

"You see," he said. "I told you that you can't trust vampires."


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

_**Wow. So it's been a while, I guess. :L I am so sorry, guys. I have been incredibly busy with so much school stuff. I know it's been months since I have written and posted a new chapter. In fact, I've been working on this chapter for five months, which is very embarrassing. I am incredibly sorry, and I thank you for all of your support, many people still read my stories, I got a lot of story alerts and author alerts, and I love you all for it. :) So spread the word around, tell people about my stories, if people still enjoy vampire stories. :L **_

_**Well, thank you so much. Again, I apologise for the delay in my chapters. There's probably going to be a lot of that now. I don't have very much time to write.**_

_**I have been thinking of writing another book, but I haven't decided yet. I want to finish this one first. I'd also like to know your thoughts about whether I should make this a series or not, so leave me a review, or message me letting me know what you think. :)**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

_**TSO123. x**_

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

I woke to the sound of dripping water splashing against the floor. Wearily, I opened my eyes and slowly took in my surroundings.

It was dark, so dark that I could hardly see the other end of the room, but I was still yet to wake up completely. There was a chill to the air, and it sent shivers down my spine. Either that or it was the atmosphere that I was in, the realisation that I had been lied to for so many years.

I was amazed at how easily Sebastian pulled it off, how easily he was able to trick me for all those years. Never ageing, yet never worrying anyone about it. I always knew he was significantly older than I am, I was just not sure of how many years.

There was a damp, wet smell to the air, and it filled my nostrils and my lungs, making me feel incredibly ill.

My back was pressed against hard, uneven stone, with jagged edges pressing further and further into my back. It was so uncomfortable, and I could feel the dampness of the ground soaking through my dress and onto my skin. My skin was wet, and I shivered along with the cold air.

My eyes widened, my head aching slightly less. Where was I? What had Sebastian done with me? I shook my head in frustration and suddenly burst into sobs. Why did this have to happen to me? I wanted nothing more than to live a normal, happy life. At that moment I regretted everything I had ever said to my mother and my brother, and regretted not meeting my father.

I struggled to stand on my feet, my knees collapsing every time I straightened them. Shooting pains rushed through my legs, making it unbearable to stand up. Slowly and painfully, I made my way to the door at the end of the cold, damp room. Each step took some strength out of me, but I eventually made it to the door.

Panting and sweating, I wrapped my hand around the door handle and twisted.

Nothing. It was locked.

I groaned, and burst into tears. I pulled and pushed on the handle, twisted and turned, and bashed against the door until I couldn't anymore. I tried so hard to get out, and used all my strength but nothing worked.

I struggled back to the wall and fell, collapsing back onto the ground. My hair was sticking to my face and neck, and I struggled to brush it away. I was getting so frustrated, and I just wanted to make myself as comfortable as I could in this situation, but nothing was working. Frustrated sobs escaped my chest, and I curled up into a tiny ball in the corner of the room.

I heard a sudden creaking sound, and the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. My heart began to race, and sweat was forming on my forehead. My ears listened out for the footsteps, and I noticed that they stopped outside my door.

It went silent. I slowly rose to my feet, listening for any other movements. But it was silent. The only noise was the sound of my unsteady breathing.

"Hello, Eleanor," whispered a familiar voice.

I screamed, and turned around. I didn't even hear him come into the room. Sebastian stood there, grinning, like the evil person he was.

My heart was racing, and the blood pounded in my ears. I wanted to just get out of here. I wanted to run, and never look back, and continue running until I was in Andre's arms.

I glared at Sebastian, and watched as he took a step towards me.

I stepped back, and held my hand out to him, signalling for him to stop. "Don't come near me! Don't you dare take another step!" I screamed.

I heard him chuckle, and within a blink, he was gone. I held my breath, feeling my heart beat getting faster and faster as I took a few steps towards where Sebastian was originally standing.

A sudden cool air was blowing down my neck, and it made the hair on my neck stand up, and goose bumps rise on my skin. I gasped, and turned around, just catching a glimpse of Sebastian grinning before he disappeared again. His chuckle echoed around the room, and tears formed in my eyes.

"What do you want from me?" I screamed.

He didn't say anything, he just continued to toy with me and my mind.

This whole thing felt like a dream to me, and that if I pinched myself, I would wake up.

But it didn't work. I was still in the dark room, with Sebastian, who was somewhere in the room, taunting me with his mind tricks.

Tears came to my eyes, and I couldn't help but burst into sobs. I had tried so hard to remain strong, but I just couldn't do it anymore. Sebastian had managed to break me, and bring me down to my weakest level. I collapsed against the wall, and just sobbed. I didn't know what else to do.

"Aw, don't cry, my lovely," crooned a voice. My eyes opened, and I saw Sebastian standing in front of me, his eyes in mock sadness and his hand raised to stroke my cheek.

I pulled back, not wanting him to be anywhere near me. "Please," I whispered, "leave me alone. I'm sorry for whatever I did. Just please, leave me alone now."

Sebastian pursed his lips, and stroked the side of my face. "If I left you know, if I let you be free, you would tell everyone what I did to you. That wouldn't be fair, would it?"

Sobs burst through my chest. "You can glamour me! Glamour me, compel me, persuade me, whatever you call it, I don't care, you can do that! You can let me go, and I won't remember a thing! And then we'll both be fine."

Sebastian chuckled, more with annoyance than actual humour, and rolled his eyes. "I've already tried that, you stupid cow." I gasped at the bitterness of his words. "Why do you think I've been so persistent in you? Because you can't _be _compelled. It doesn't work on you."

"What?"

He nodded and smiled. "That's right. A bit annoying, actually. That's why I have stuck around you for so long."

He leaned in closer, so that we were almost touching. "You're not human. I can tell. Humans are much more susceptible to my compulsion. You're a bit more of a challenge."

"You've tried compelling me before?"

"Yes, of course. A vampire would be ridiculously stupid not to! But you, my dear, are quite powerful. Quite powerful indeed, I don't think you're even aware of your own strength."

He was being ridiculous. I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Power? I was nothing but an average human being, wasn't I?

"But more on that later." He stared deeply into my eyes. "I know you are something special. You're definitely not human. I assume that's what has me and Richards so fascinated by you. You smell..._sweeter_...to other humans."

I frowned. "Sweeter? What the hell do you mean?"

Sebastian took a few steps back, and started pacing around the room. "All humans have a similar scent to them. One human does not smell too different from the other, their blood is still metallic and harsh. You, on the other hand, have this delicious scent about you, like a rich, dark smell, very similar to chocolate, as I remember from my human life. I think that drinking from you would be like heaven, if I were to go there."

I narrowed my eyes, anger burning inside of me. "Unluckily for you, you'll never find out."

Sebastian turned his head to me and smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. You see, you underestimate me, my sweet. I am very unpredictable, especially now since you know the truth about me."

"Those girls that you and Andre are always with, do you lure them in, or are they just attracted to you naturally?" I asked. I was curious as to why they both were always crowded with woman, but yet one attracted me a lot more than the other.

"A good question," Sebastian said as he wondered around the room. "I like to think that it's my glorious sex appeal that lures them in. I mean, who can resist this?" He said, pointing to himself. "But, I have to admit, that even I'm not that adored. It's mainly the whole vampire thing, being a vampire, but sometimes I can compel someone to being attracted to me. It didn't work on you, though."

"That's what you tried to compel me with? You tried to make me attracted to you."

Sebastian chuckled. "Only because I have been so attracted to you, because of your supernatural state."

I shook my head, confused. "I don't understand. Why have you got me here, then?"

Sebastian appeared in front of me again, and I jumped back. My back was pressed against a wall. The cold stone sent shivers across my skin, but I ignored the cold. His expression went from being very mocking, to very serious incredibly quickly.

"There have been myths and legends for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Aztecs. These myths tell the stories of magical creatures that can cast spells and influence human beings. They are incredibly irresistible, and beautiful to the naked eye, but they have a mysterious and evil, forever playing pranks on others and causing mischief in society. Their blood is irresistible to a vampire, and has magical powers to it," he leaned in closer, "or so the legend goes."

I frowned. "And what does that have to do with me?"

His lips pulled up into his evil smirk again, and he winked. "I knew you would ask that."

He walked closer and closer, his body pressing harder and harder against mine. I shivered, but not with pleasure. His body was surprisingly cold, and goose bumps rose on my skin. I could feel his hand rest on my waist, and his thumb ran across my ribcage.

"What-what has it got to do with me, Sebastian?" I said shakily.

His mouth ran up to my earlobe, and I felt his teeth bite on my ear. I flinched and drew back. I shoved and pushed with all my might, but he didn't move.

Sebastian groaned against my neck. "Oh Eleanor, I wish we could've been together. You and I, we would've been great. I'm going to miss you."

My eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

Sebastian sighed and pulled back, brushing my wet hair off my face. "Oh darling, you're not very bright, are you?" He breathed another sigh and placed a small kiss on my forehead, then pulled back to look into my eyes. "You're going to join Alice and Emma."


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**So it has been forever and a half since I last posted, and I am a little bit embarrassed. :L Wow, over a year! I'd be surprised if this even gets read, considering it has been so long since I last posted. I am so so so so sorry, I am approaching my final years of school, and my job was so demanding, and I never had any free time to write. Hopefully, fingers crossed, I can get back into writing again, and I can get some more followers and people will start reading again.**

**Sorry, really bad chapter! I just wanted to get it up before I left it any longer. I am editing it at this second, and I will let you know when I and if I have replaced the chapter. So excuse the horrible writing in this chapter. I know it's not my best. :S**

**So please share! And review! It's been so long, I am desperate for any one to tell me what they think, I need to know if I'm heading in the right direction! :D**

**Happy Reading!**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

I was numb. I couldn't feel anything. It was like my heart had stopped the blood from flowing throughout my body. The room was crowded and small, I was struggling for air. I found myself clinging onto Sebastian for support, and disgusted, I pulled away. How could he do this to me? What had I done to deserve this?

"You killed them?" I finally managed to get out.

Sebastian eye's wandered around the room, and I knew that he was going to say something smart to me. "Well, technically, it was your brother."

"Dimitri!" I screamed. "No, no! He couldn't, he wouldn't!"

Sebastian paced around the room, irritating me further. "Ah, but he did."

"You mouth spills such vicious lies. No wonder you're a child of the devil! Hell is your true home, you should be burning there now!" I spat.

Sebastian did nothing but laugh at my attack, damaging my strength and courage even more than it already had been.

"You're adorable. But no, it was charming Dimitri that had actually ruined all those poor innocent lives. With my persuasion, of course."

My head spun with the information I had been enlightened with. "You honestly expect me to believe you, to believe that you compelled my brother to kill the woman that he loved. When I know, that deep down in his heart, he is a good and honourable man."

"Honourable!" Sebastian laughed bitterly, his voice dripping with acid. "You're brother is the scum of this whole castle. He did not love those women, and you know it. They were nothing but objects to him, just pieces of meat to occupy him when he needed entertaining. He is a whore."

"And you're so much better. Killing innocent humans to satisfy your hunger, and your lust."

Sebastian's cruel smile stretched across his face. "You're a lot smarter than people give you credit for, my dear. I admire that. That was why I didn't want this to end like this. I was happy to just let Dimitri carry on his pathetic little life, and I be able to use him for my own entertainment."

"You make me sick, Sebastian, I hate you!" I yelled, and spat at his feet.

I didn't even have the chance to blink before Sebastian was standing right in front of me, hand at my throat, eyes glaring deep into my soul. His fingers pressed tighter, and I choked on what little air was remaining in my lungs. His plam pressed harder and deeper onto my windpipe, and tears formed in my eyes.

"Shut up, you pathetic little cow. You are incredibly brave to say those things around a creature such as myself, and you're also incredibly stupid. I will not hesitate in snapping your neck, and ripping your pretty little head off that delectable body of yours. Do you understand?" he hissed.

Being so restricted, I was only able to move my head forward in a slight nod. Sebastian groaned, and rolled his eyes back in pleasure. "Oh, the feel of your pulse excites me so much, Ellie girl. I might save your death for my own pleasure."

I whimpered, and a small wheeze escaped my lips. Sebastian released his grip on my neck, but kept his hand resting for his own reassurance. I drew in deep heavy breaths, determined to fill my lungs with the heavy damp air of the dungeon.

"You're so special, Ellie. I had hoped that your brother had an inch of the courage and power that you have, but unluckily, you're the only gifted one. But it made persuasion so much easier. Tell me, have you ever felt the influence of vampire?"

I gulped back the breaths, and thought carefully, shaking my head at no recent experience.

"Ever felt strange waves of feelings that you couldn't control? Lust, maybe?" He questioned, and I felt my cheeks flame with his mentioning, remembering the encounter I had had with him just recently after Andre had attacked me.

"Whe...when you saw me in the corridor, when I was distressed. I will admit, I felt some sort of strange...emotions...towards you when you approached me. I thought it was just the heat of the moment." I squeaked. "But it disappeared quickly. I was able to shake it off."

Sebastian's eyes lit up with delight. "So it did work? You did feel my influence?"

My eyes narrowed, and I hissed. "That was you? I should've known!"

But he seemed to ignore me. In fact, he seemed overjoyed at the news that I had just shared with him. "Oh, Eleanor, that is wonderful! And to think that you were powerful enough to force it away, to not let it overcome you. You were at a weak and troubled time, and you pushed it away!" He laughed with absolute glee, and pushed closer on me. "That is marvelous!"

"It was only because I was broken hearted, you evil bastard. I had just had a horrible encounter with Andre, and-"

"Oh, sweetie," he whispered as he stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. "You don't really think that Andre would say those things to you, do you? Andre isn't capable of anything like that, you should know that. He's weak, he isn't true to his nature."

The harsh realisation hit me hard. "It was you. It was always you. You tried to make me afraid of him! Why?"

"So that I knew you wouldn't fall for him any more than you already had. I want you, Eleanor. I want you to be mine, and I will go to any lengths to have you with me. I wanted you to hate Andre and be afraid so that I could console you. But I hadn't expected you to be so resistant to my charms. Which is why you are here now."

He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, still pressing me against the cold stone wall. "But I guess if I can't have you alive, you're always good to me dead."

"My father," I gasped. "He knew...he knew about you all. He...he was going to tell-"

"I know," Sebastian whispered. "And I couldn't take the risk. He had to die."

A deafening wail ruptured from me, and I pushed and shoved against Sebastian, desperately trying to get any sort of freedom from him. I hated him, with all the life within me, I hated him. It seemed to live within me, thrive on my energy. I felt nothing but pure angst and hatred towards the creature standing before me.

"Get off me," I growled.

Sebastian chuckled, and stroked my chin with his thumb. "Oh, pretty kitty wants to play." Placing a light kiss on my lips, his hand moved back to my hip, pushing me against the wall a little harder, deepening his kiss with a horrible lust and yearning. I twisted and wriggled underneath him, struggling to get away from him, but it seemed to only egg him on further. "You're mine now, and no one is here to save you."

"Get off me!" I screamed, scaring myself. I pushed harder and harder against Sebastian, but it only seemed to encourage him, as he slowly pulled my skirts up my leg. A hatred and disgust rose in my blood, setting my skin on fire. A strange tingling sensation scattered all over my body, and seemed to well in my hands, gathering in my fingertips. A growl rumbled from the back of my throat, and in one frustrated movement, I shoved against Sebastian one last time.

A blinding pale blue light light erupted from my fingertips, and seemed to fill the entire room. Sebastian pulled back, eyes wide with astonishment, but was cut short of words and sounds before he was forced backwards against the stone wall on the opposite side of the room.

His body plummetted into the wall, causing the wall to crash and crumble against his immense, supernatural strength. The stone wall tumbled on top of him, burying his evil self under the rubble.

I stood, frozen and speechless. I had no idea what I had done, what I had just achieved, and what my next move was. I finally came to my senses and ran out of the sickly cold room, before Sebastian awoke. Because I was certain that when he did, he was not going to be too happy.


End file.
